Evening star., 1934-04-07
BRITISH MAY GIVE
ARMS GUARANTEES
ASKED BY FRENCH
Expected to Make Conces-
sions to Save Conference
at Geneva.
CLOSER TIES ARE SEEN
between TWO NATIONS
London Will Demand, However,
That Paris Must Meet Ger
tain Conditions.
BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.


BY Wireless to The Star
PARIS, France, April because
Of German arming reports Great
Britain appears to be ready to give
the French those guarantees which
alone can prevent a collapse of the
negotiations to limit armaments
Therefore, for the first time since
Germany left the League o. Natiors
last Autumn, there Is a chance that
Europe may prefer an international
agreement to unlimited armament
competition.
Likened to Previous Mission.
The trip of Capt Anthony Eden,
British lord privy seal, to Berlin
in February OF this year is commonly
likened to the trip of Lord Haldane
to Berlin in February, % years ago.
Then Lord Haldane was sent to
Berlin to tell the Germans that.
If they persisted in realizing their
new naval program and imperiling
British naval supremacy, Germany
might expect to find Great Britain
fighting beside France when the
time came
The Germans haughtily answered
that this was impossible unless Great
Britain would promise unconditional
neutrality in case of a war between
Germany and the other powers. The
British believed that this was tanta-
mount to asking them to stand aside
while the Germans crushed the
French. They said SO.
Today Germany's armament claims
have apparently converted the British
to the view that Reichs Chancellor
Adolf Hitler's deeds weigh more than
his action.
British Would Join French.
Thus the British have told France
that they are ready to consider CIV
ing 1t the so-called guarantees of ex-
ecution" in case it could decide to
sign an armament convention recog-
nizing Germany's right to increased
but limited ornaments. This means
that should the convention be signed
and then violated. the British would
guarantee to stand with the French
III publishing an O1enQer.
France and Great Britain seem
closer together than for many months.
The British, to be sure, set certain
conditions: First, they will not allow
any connection between the new con-
vention and the treaty of Versailles,
which they have been taught to hate;
second, they want the French to make
iy, ha;
armamentS. and, third. they want the
guaranty to apply only to the arma-
ments convention and not to terri
tories outside the boundaries of the
Locarno SignatorieS
Subject to these limitations they
seem ready to 60 ahead. The French
sent a note to England last night say
ing that they simply will not reduce
their present armaments unless Ger
many remains within the original
treaty limits. Next week they intend
to send second note somewhat as
follows:
The present Disarmament Confer
ence was called on the basis of the
vague promises contained in the
Treaty of Versailles and the Covenant
Of the League of Nations. Since the
Germans will not really remain dis
armed. the present terms of reference
no longer apply. Therefore the
League Disarmament Conference-as
first foreshadowed in these dispatches
had better be transformed.
Willing to Accept.
The French are willing to accept a
new basis away from the Treaty of
Versailles for a conference limiting
ornaments. On the third British
point, the French will doubtless try
to insist that the British guarantees
Of execution be of a blanket nature
to cover any violations. But this
point is still open to discussion. The
Locarno agreements already commit
the British to protect the French
frontiers If they are violated and they
certainly will not be abrogated.
Italy also wants general guaranty
Of execution. Therefore when the
Bureau of the Disarmament Confer
ence meets on Tuesday at Geneva. it
will be in a better atmosphere than
prevailed since the Germans bolted
the League and the conference and
startd tearing up the Treaty of Ver-
sailles. 1t is expected that the Gen.
eral Conference Commission will be
called in the middle of May. thus
leaving time for the continuance Of
private negotiations of all sorts.
DOWNRIGHT 1Q34)