Evening star., 1933-10-12
ARMS SHOWDOWN
FOUGHT BY DAVIS
U. S. Delegate Working Hard
to Bar Use of Big Stick
at Geneva.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

According to reports from Geneva,
the tragedy which is being staged there
since the meeting of the Steering Com
mittee Of the Limitation Of Arms Con-
ference is drawing to an end.
Norman H. Davis, Americas chief
delegate, acting under instructions from
Washington, Is making strenuous efforts
to avoid . showdown. He still hopes
to obtain a solution of the politica!
problem, which has substituted the
technical disarmament problem, before
next Monday when the plenary session
is scheduled to meet.
The British secretary Of state. Sir
John Simon, is reported to have ar
rived at Geneva from London In
battling mood. He has joined the
French and, in fact. Is reported to have
gone one better than the French In
desiring to present the Germans with
take 1t or leave 1t" proposition In
which Germany must agree not to re-
arm for q period Of four years, after
which the whole limitation of arms
problem will be discussed again. The
only concession made to the advocates
OF disarmament is that the other ma
tions will not increase their present
armaments. The important question of
replacements is being left to the tech
nicians Of the conference, who will
decide to what extent the replacements
can 60.
French Back Simon View.
The French delegates feeling them
selves strongly supported by the British
fully concur with the point of view Of
Sir John and have informed the Ger
mans that this four-year plan Is their
last word.
The State Department and Davis
realize such an attitude would only
precipitate a crisis in the near future
and would certainly doom the Geneva
Conference. Davis is reported to be
engaged in trying to persuade the
British and the French that while the
principle Of a four-year plan Is quite
satisfactory to the United States. the
agreement must be drafted in such Q
way as to offer the Germans some face
saving device in order to appease Ger
man public opinion. 1t is believed that
Mr.. Davis has suggested different
phraseology than that contemplated by
the British. He would like to see in the
draft some expression whereby Ger
many's right to equality should be
officially recognized and possibly that
the trial period" Of four years should
be somewhat reduced.
Naturally the American Government
will not support any attempt of Ger
many to build even token" arma
ments and will be opposed to any ef-
fort which might tend to re-arMa-
ment instead OF q reduction Of arma-
mentS.
Davis Has Dificult Role.
The position Of the American Am
baSsador at large is not an easy one.
He, like the whole administration, feels
that this conference which has been
summoned l8 months ago in order to
bring about a disarmament OF the
world has been transformed into po-
litical conference in which the latent
political problems which have been
brewing in Europe since the end OF
the World War are thrashed out
violently. America went to Geneva In
the hope that by common agreement
OF So nations some actual dlsarma-
ment agreement may be reached. In
stead, the American delegates find
themselves in the center of an Euro
pean quarrel and have been forced to
take up a position of brokers between
two antagonistic parties.
Furthermore, during the last 10
days, America has been compelled to
give the impression Of taking up po-
sition of siding with one group or the
other, which is alien to the original
plan Of the American Government.
But since this had to happen. as soon
as it was realized that no limitation
of arms was possible without f1rst solv-
ing the problem between France and
Germany, the American delegation Is
trying to maintain an impartial attl-
tude. The administration While reallz-
ing that the German request for re-
armament is opposed to the basic
principles of the conference, 1t is not
in sympathy with any strong methods
as seem to be advocated by the Brit
ish secretary Of state.
Prepared to Leave League.
In his efforts Davis hopes to be able
to convince the British and the French
that this is not the time to use the big
stick. The German population has been
worked up to a frame of mind wherein
it would support its government in any
move it may want to take. And the
Germans, like the japanese year ago,
are prepared to leave the League rather
than subscribe to anything that may
appear as arbitrary, unilateral decision
on the part of the other powers.
Ambassador Davis is supported in his
moves by the Italian government. and
to certain extent by the delegates OF
the minor powers, who are disappointed
in seeing that the conference has turned
into rowdy meeting of the powers
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