Evening star., 1933-04-24
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Disarmament came prominently into
the picture while President Roosevelt
and Prime Minister Macdonald were
cruising on the Potomac yesterday. but
the attitude Of the United States
1t may be stated on pretty good au-
thority-is that for the moment dis
armament Is of secondary consideration.
War debts come in the same category.
The Roosevelt-Hul plan, unless it has
undergone an eleventh-hour change, Is
to subordinate everything to the broad,
general and all-underlying economic
and monetary needs Of the world. Dis
armament and debts, for the time being
at least, are held to be minor issues,
to be tackled after major questions
are dealt with. The American view is
that 1t will be far easier to tackle them
after paramount problems like restor-
and Correlated things like gold, cur
rency, exchange and tariffs
above all-have received corrective at
tention. Messrs. Macdonald and Her
riot may demur to the order Of prece-
dence thus indicated, but the new deal
thinks it is the only way.
~ + X
Ramsay Macdonald has visibly aged
1929. It is not surprising. He has sur
vived rigorous physical and political
ucissitudes in the interval Not only
did he weather an ordeal that for
time threatened him with blindness, but
he clashed violently with his old politi-
cal organization, the British Labor
party, and for nearly two years has
been at irreconcilable loggerheads with
it. When he visited President Hoover
the prime minister came as the head
Of the second triumphant Labor gov
ernment. Mr.. Macdonald Is in Wash
ington now as leader Of National"
government, which holds office only on
sufferance Of the overwhelming Con-
servative majority in the House OF
Commons, Labor's traditional foe. But
the ravages Of time have signally failed
to rob the Scotsman of his charm.
poetic eloquence and buoyancy. It's
an open secret in Great Britain that
his political career to a considerable
extent depends upon his present mis-
sion. II he brings home a working
agreement with the United States.
which can be sold" to Parliament and
the country as definitely advantageous
to the British people, heightened pres
tige will insure Mr.. Macdonald q new
lease Of office. II he returns empty
handed, it's extremely likely. as he
limited at his first press conference In
Washington, that the sage Of Lossie-
mouth will soon be earning his living
again as journalist.
X
M. Edouard Herriot Is in the United
States this time under vastly different
circumstances than when he first Wis
tied the country in 1923. Although
mayor Of Lyon and leader of the Left
party in the French Chamber, he was
almost totally unknown over here. Even
when 1t was indicated to such organiza-
tions as the Bankers Club Of New York
City and the New York Chamber Of
premier of France (as he was), little
interest was displayed in him. The
fact that he was Radical Socialist"
scared everybody ofi-Americans thought
that meant Herriot was Communist
Of reddest hue. Ambassador Myron T.
Herrick happened to be in America on
leave, and his hometown Cleveland
Chamber of Commerce, on Herrick's
initiative, decided to invite the French
man to speak. Later NJ. Herriot was
widely entertained, both West and East,
and before he left, the United States
he was received by President Coolidge
at the White House, Ambassador
Jusserand having arranged the meet
ing. The mayor of Lyon finally made
such a favorable impression in New
York that organizations there tumbled
over one another to do him honor. He
liked to spend hours ut time In the
Metropolitan Museum Of Art and the
Morgan Library and sometimes could
hardly be torn away to keep public en-
easements. Lieut.. Col H. Edmund
Bulls, Reserve Corps, U. 8. A., who
piloted M. Herriot across the United
states, was later decorated by France
for that service.