Evening star., 1934-06-24
PARIS LOOKS TO RUSSIA
AND CRISIS MAY COME
Projected Pact With Soviet Results
From Failure to Get Security
Guarantees.

be likely to react so ravorably upon
Frances position in Europe that it
was thought we'll worth purchasing,
even at the price of a real risk.
In addition, it was observed that
Russia, in making a bid for the mill
tary support of France and the Little
Entente, was implicitly giving up her
claims upon the territories detached
from the former empire of the czars
"a development which necessarily
would impair the strength of the
"revisionist" campaign all over the
continent.
But the obstacles that are in the
way and have TO be overcome are
quite formidable
The legal advisers of the Quai
d'Orsay have discovered that in the
terms of article 2, of the Rhineland
pact, France is not permitted to de-
clare war against Germany and in
wade the demilitarized zone IN the
Rhineland for the sake of assisting
third power attacked by the German
armies unless that third power itself
belongs to the League of Nations and
as such can invoke the League cove
nant. Therefore Russia cannot ex-
pect to be given the protection of the
treaty of mutual guaranty and assist
ance until she has joined the League
In Rome last Autumn Litvinoff re-
fused to accept MuSsolini's invitation
to join the League because, he said,
the League was nothing more than
a corpse" Mussolini endeavored
at that time to secure his adhe-
sion TO scheme which he had
worked out for the reform of the
League-a plan repugnant to the
SovietS as well as to France and her
allies because it was calculated to
promote the cause of reViSi0niSm
(which would lead straight to war;
rather than international peace
Nowadays Lltvinoff is confronted by
a different proposal He is asked to
join the League so as to make it at
least efficient by putting in force a
pact of mutual assistance which aims
at infuSing life into article l6 of the
covenant measures to be taken
against an eventual agreSsor), which
so far has been dead letter. Thus
he can and probably will explain that
Russia is able to enter the League if
it is turned into something more than
a "corpse"-a triumph for the French
thesis about the requirements of in
ternational security.
Let us not believe, however. that
RuSsia's entrance into the League As
Sembly and Council will find easy and
universal acceptance. For instance
how will the Communist regime of
Russia adapt itself to the principles
savoring a capitalist and liberal ortho-
doXy, upon which the Hague Court of
International Justice and the inter
national labor Office rest? And what
will be the reaction of Poland?
Since it initiated its new policy to-
ward Germany last Autumn-the policy
that eliminated in the German-Polish
declaration of January 29-the War
saw government has not evinced to-
ward Russia the same friendliness as
formerly. Marshal Pilsudski and his
advisers look askance at every treaty
that can strengthen the Bolshevik
power. Pilsudski cid not say, when
he met M. Barthou, the French foreign
minister, in Warsaw recently, that he
would veto Russia's application for
League membership. But Barthou was
warned that Poland would strenuously
insist that it be placed, within the
League. upon a footing of absolute
equality with the newcomer; that it
be given a permanent seat on the
League Council and that the Russian
delegates would not be entitled to
make use of the treaty for the pro-
lection of national minoritieS with
which Poland was saddled in 1913
that is, to interfere with Poland's ac-
tionS toward the Russians who hap
pen to live within its Jurisdiction To
discover a middle way will be a hard
job for M. Barthou.
A good deal will probably depend
upon Sir John Simon and Mr. Ramsay
Macdonald. Sooner or later the Brit
ish government will have to declare
itself; its words are sure to carry great
weight. Will it listen to Mussolini.
who undoubtedly wants to kill the
French scheme" and with that end
in view is doing his best to persuade
the German Reich to send its dele
gates back to Geneva? Or will Britain
consider that, provided no fresh COM
mitments are required from itself. the
creation of an alliance to enforce
peace" deserves its approval?
I don't pretend to read the future.
But were new failure to be added to
the failures which in preceding years
have been recorded in Geneva when
ever an attempt was made to put the
League on its feet, European confu-
sion will quickly become worse con-
founded. The states that want to
destroy the peace treaties either have
already broken with the League or.
while they still pay lip-Service to its
ideals. are straining every nerve to
make 1t swerve from the guardian
ship of international law Whatever
substance the League retains will
quickly disappear if states which are
determined to stand by the estab-
lished European order must organize
themselves on an independent basis.