Evening star., 1934-09-16
RlzICH-JAPANESE AMITY
BRINGS RUSSIA TO GENEVA
Soviet Mission Not One of Peace, But
Is Aimed to Complete Encircle-
ment of Nazis by Powers.


control of Germany.
In this respect the situation Is Gu
riously like that in the last phase of
the Napoleonic drama with the sin
gle difference that the opponents of
Germany are depending wholly upon
economic forces to bring about d.
vorce between the German people and
their dictator, whereas, in 1914, military
pressure was the chief weapon. Rus
sian reception at Geneva, too, Is a
form of moral coercion, a means of
emphasizing the isolation of the
Reich. 1t is a piece of strategy, a
form of propaganda. Already eager
American champions of Geneva are
beginning to announce that the ad-
mission of Russia means an enormous
gain for the League. But aside from
the possible gain in prestige the re-
suit must be negligible. For all prac-
tical purposes France, Italy and Rus
sia with the more than passive acqui-
escence of Great Britain are engaged
in an operation calculated deliberately
to destroy the present regime in the
Reich. 1t is war fought by finance
and not by firearms and the casualty
lists are the monthly reports of Ger
many's export trade.
French to Act in Saar Crisis.
When Mussolini modified at the
murder Of Dollfuss he took out Of the
hands of the League the job of keep
ing the peace. For his action he had
a mandate from France and Britain
and the approval of the Soviet Union.
If there is a new crisis in the Aus
trian republic, MuSSolini will act in
the same way. If the crisis comes in
the Saar, French troops will move.
Controlling majority in the MEM
bership at Geneva the French and the
dorsement of their course by the
League.
The Soviet entrance into the League
will not furnish it with greater re-
sources for carrying out the mission
of the Covenant, for one no longer
looks to the League as an effective
tribunal. Following the Manchurian
affair the conception of the League
as the guardian of world peace and
the protector of the weak was de-
stroyed. The Japanese are still in
Manchuria and every one knows that
Austria would today be under Hitler's
control if on July 25 its protection
had been entrusted to the League.
Humpty- -dumpty cannot be put
back on the wall now, just because
Russia joins the League. Geneva can
debate and it can pass resolutions. 1t
can mobilize the public opinion of the
world, but that opinion will not have
any influence in the aggressor nation
because censorship will not permit 1t
to reach the people of that country.
1t can determine the nature Of law,
which 1t cannot enforce because 1t
lacks authority and is destitute OF
means.
When the German affair Is presently
cleaned up and Hitler has disap-
peared nothing seems more certain
than that there will be an enormous
downward revision of the Leagues
prospectus. The assumption which
underlays the whole experiment has
been proved invalid. The great pow
ers will not permit the creation OF a
superstate by delegating to it any OF
their sovereign rights. Nations will
not consent to submitting their vital
interests to the decision of an inter
national body or to transferring to
that body their fleets and armies in
order to enforce that decision.
Soviets to Exploit League.
If and when the Soviet Union gets
to Geneva it will do just what all the
other League nations have done-it
will try to exploit the machinery OF
the League either to promote its own
interests or by invoking the unanimity
rule will seek to prevent or postpone
unfavorable Judgment upon its &C
tions. It will accept the decision of
the League and assist in enforcing it
when its own security Is served there
by, but not otherwise. 1t will join
France and Italy and their allies in
condemning Germany and Japan, be-
cause the purposes of Germany and
Japan conflict with interests and
rights of the Soviet Union.
But if, by any chance, the League
should decide that what Russia is
doing to Inner Mongolia, or Tibet,
was inconsistent with League doc
trines and should attempt to compel
Russia to obey League decision, rather
than yield the Soviets would quit &C.
neva as the japanese and the Ger
mans have already done and as the
Italians have again and again threat
ened to do. Nations join the League
when membership serves their pur-
poses and quit when it no longer does.
They conform to League decisions
when these accord with their own
interests and defy them when they
do mot
In the League Disarmament Con-
ference Russia was steadily repre-
sented, but the presence of the Soviet
delegates made no difference in the
proceedings. When Germany came
into the League Brazil went out. 1t
is not beyond the limits of the possible
that as Russia enters Poland will de-
part, if the former gets and the latter
misses getting a permanent seat in
the Council. The entrance of Red
Russia into the League has no rela-
ton to League ideals or League prin-
cipleS. The Russians are only there
because it seems the best way to resist
German and japanese attack.
Copyright 1934)