Evening star., 1934-04-22
BY FRANK ii. SIMONDS.

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rate. Nor is 1t less apparent that of
these various discussions those be-
tween London and Paris are OF first
Importance. For literally even the
prospect of truce, of few months de-
pends upon the decisions which are
soon reached in the matter of Anglo
French relations. And, in this mat
ter, the initiative now rests with the
British.
Several times in the postwar era
there have been similar crises. When,
at the Paris Peace Conference, the
French insisted upon permanent occu-
patton of the left bank of the Rhine,
from Switzerland to Holland, the
British joined with the Americans in
giving France guarantee of security.
1t was on the pledge of such a guar
antee, never redeemed, that Clemen-
ceau overcame the opposition of Poin-
care and Foch and accepted the old
frontier of 1870.
When France, angry over the loss
Of the Anglo-American guarantee, in
cident to the action of the United
States Senate, and apprehensive
over Germany's resistance to disarma-
ment and reparations provisions of
the Treaty of Versailles, occupied the
Ruhr. it was only the British promise
of guarantees contained IN the Lo-
carno pacts which led to French evac-
uation. And in that French surrender
British and American finance played
a part in the making of the Dawes
plan.
New Crisis Has Arisen.
Finally. when the question of saw
ing the German Republic seemed to
turn upon the abolition of repara-
tions. it was the British consent to
waive French as well as Italian pay
ments to Britain, herself, which made
possible the agreement of Lausanne.
Thus three times when concessions by
France seemed in English eyes the
sole way to prevent new catastrophe.
British craftsmanship obtained the
necessary concessions by considerable
sacrifices.
Today new and similar crisis has
arisen over the question of disarma-
ment. OF course every one now realizes
that actual disarmament is out of the
question. What is at issue now is
whether German rearmament, which
has become inevitable and is pro-
ceeding apace, shall be regularized
and restricted by general agreement
or permitted to develop in such form
as to insure a general race in mill
tary and naval preparation. In this
Ga
the deciding vote.
For it is obvious without French
consent to the modification of the
Treaty of Versailles, which fixes Ger
man ornaments, the present German
program will continue to be illegal
Now, in this situation the British
have again been reluctantly brought
to the realization that France will
not bulge without a new concession.
And they have been grimly debating
the form this concession shall take.
Not only that. but they have already
reached certain negative decisions.
Thus the present government. with
the support Of the country. is deter
mined not to extend British guaran-
tees for the defense of existing from
tiers of the continent. BY Locarno
Britain Is bound to defend the status
quo on the Rhine between Switzer-
land and Holland This covers both
the French and Belgian frontiers and
there has been some talk of extending
the commitment to include the Dutch.
Since Holland, like Belgium, faces
British shores. opposition to such ex-
tension has not been vehement. On
the other hand. the idea of lending
British responsibility for frontiers in
Central and Eastern Europe is
anathema.
Security Demand Can Be Met.
What then can Britain do to satisfy
the French without arousing domestic
wrath? Obviously it can undertake,
first of all. to procure an agreement
between the great powers and, in
practice, between Germany, Italy and
France, as to the point at which
they are prepared at the present time
to halt their ornaments and forces
For France and Italy that point would
obviously be the present level. while
for Germany 1t would be a condition
of parity with France.
Having thus satisfied German de-
mand for parity. Britain can then
meet the French demand for security,
at least in part, by insisting upon
international supervision of national
armaments and pledging herself, in
case such supervision discloses the vio-
lation of agreements of limitation. to
join in measures to bring the Offend
ing nation back to obedience of its
pledges. In word. If Germany, hav-
ing armed up to the French Level,
should secretly continue to expand
her armaments or forces. Britain
would be bound to join France in
some form of coercive action.
AS usual in such cases the British
are striving to make the proposed
engagements as vague and the French.
as precise as possible. Nevertheless
the important fact is that the British
have recognized they will have to do
something for the French If a new
armament agreement is to be made.
for they also perceive that Germany's
claim to parity with France can
not longer be resisted Thus they
seem bound to offer Germany parity,
with French consent paid for by their
own pledge to join in coercion of the
violator of a new general agreement:
The British are also trying to per-
suade the Germans to come back to
Geneva.
British proposals do, moreover, indi-
cate an unmistakable drift of British
sentiment back to France. The pro-
gram of Nazi Germany for air and
naval expansion, as well as military.
has had its effect in England. Nazi
propaganda and such books as those
of Ewald Banse. who forecasts a Ger
man-Irish attack upon Britain, once
Germany has armed and seized Hol-
land and Belgium, have had their
effect. That effect, too, has been
intensified by the German treatment
OF the Jews and liberals at home and
by the Nazi campaign against the
independence of Austria.
Disturbed by French Unrest.
Very reluctantly the British are
being forced again to the conclusion
that they cannot safely ignore con-