Evening star., 1934-05-31
The Geneva Debating Society.


America once again has laid its dis
armament cards on the Geneva table.
They do not represent any change in
policy and project, as Mr.. Davis puts
1t, mo new cures" Addressing the
opening session Of the resumed con-
ference this week, our Ambassador
merely reafirmed the position which
the United States has repeatedly out
lined during the conferences twenty
seven fruitless months of search for Q
solution of its problems.
This country remains as eager as
ever to contribute to some practicable
scheme of disarmament Primarily a
naval power, the United States, Mr..
Davis told Geneva, Is ready to accept
proportionate and substantial re-
duction for its fleet under interna-
tional agreement and to assent to SUI
pervision of armaments. America, too,
is willing to enter. q general nom
aggression pact, and to consult with
other nations on any problems that
might arise under it-subject to the
express understanding that there is
no advance commitment to use our
armed forces "for the settlement of
any dispute anywhere" Under no cir
cumstances would the United States
take any part in European political
negotiations" Mr.. Davis emphasizes,
although it is willing to join in meas
ures for control of the private trafic
in arms.
Immediately following the restate-
ment of Americas position, Foreign
Commissar Litvinoff startled the con-
ference with an exposure of the Soviet
Unions plan. Strongly indicating
Moscow's readiness to enter the
League, Mr.. Litvinoff proposed that
the Disarmament Conference be con-
verted into a permanent and regularly
meeting body for the enforcement of
peace through employment of sane
tions against would-be aggressors and
extension of material aid, moral, eco
nomic, financial or otherwise" to
states threatened with war.
There are, of course, obvious and
wide differences of viewpoint in the
policies thus broadly outlined by the
representatives of the United States
and the Soviet Union. But they are
trivial compared to the fundamental
differences which separate France and
Germany and France and Great Brit
ain. Geneva will doubtless be the
arena Of protraCted academic discus.
sion of the Litvino1 proposal TO con-
vert the League into a standing anti
war body, but no matter what course
that disquisition takes, the bedrock of
the disarmament controversy remains
the point that keeps the French and
the Germans at loggerheads, and that
which continues to divide the British
and the French. Germany is deter
mined to rearm and is actually doing
so. France. in presence Of that fact,
will not dismount a gun or demobilize
a man. She will only consider reduc-
ton of armaments If Great Britain Or
the United States, or both of them,
consent 10 join in security pact guar
anteeing Frances safety against at
tack by the traditional foe beyond the
Rhine. Neither of the Engish-speak-
ing powers reveals any enthusiasm for
such an arrangement. The result is
disarmament stalemate.
Meantime Geneva rocks with dis
cord as to which power is now re-
sponsible for stalling the disarmament
engine. On Wednesday Sir John
Simon, British foreign secretary. and
M. Louis Barthou, French foreign
minister, engaged in acrimonious dis
pute on that score. Their recrimina-
tions typify the atmosphere of the
conference, which long since degen-
Grated into mere debating society for
airing of nationalistic theories and ven-
tilation Of rival grievances. If Geneva
contrives to attain practical disarma-
ment results amid the confusion and
controversy into which the major issue
is now plunged, the world will know
that the age of miracles. after all, is
not past.