Evening star., 1934-04-01

by Sisnor Mussolini. pronouncements
by Herr Hitler. appeals and warnings
by Stanley Baldwin.
But at the end Of II all We are
where we were last November, with
the two principals facing each other
across the Rhine with their respective
megaphones laundering their mystic
cries, equality" and security" In
deed. II anything, the position Is
worse rather than better. for what
ever merits the Doumergue govern
ment in France has from the domes-
tic point Of view, 1t is unquestionably
q more disquieting government from
the disarmament point Of view.
**&
This is evident from the French re-
ply to the British memorandum. The
plan put forward In that memorandum
comprised four points: Partial re-
armament for Germany. partial dis
armament for the armed powers, con-
sultation and discussion about breaches
OF agreement and the return Of Ger
many to the League of Nations. The
object of the plan was TO establish an
agreed level by regulated disarmament
on the one side and regulated re-
armament on the other. But the
French reply. rs the Daily Telegraph
say, returns In effect . direct nom
possumus. hardly to be distinguished
from a -volumus, to the British
revised plan
France Is no more ready to come to
terms with Germany than she was at
any time last year. She declines to
sanction German rearmament and
refuses to begin her own disarmament
so long as she has not security"
against the results. For security"
France asks two things: An efficiently
working control" of ornaments and
an undertaking by the signatories of
the agreement to apply sanctions.
which need not necessarily be more
than economic. against any power de-
liberately violating the convention.
Thus the outlook Is desperate.
Agreement on the British plan seems
out of the question. Is, therefore, the
Disarmament Conference to throw up
its hands and file petition in bank
ruptcy? That would mean only one
thing: A frank and naked competi-
ton in armaments and inevitable war
Mussolini. in his grafton to the Fascist
quinquennial demostration. declared
that failure to implement disarna-
ment convention would be the death
warrant Of the League Of Nations, to
which I am bound to say he has
shown himself a very devout adher-
ent. And the British government,
through Mr. Baldwin, has announced
that II there is not disarmament
agreement. Britain will no longer
hold her hand in the air, but will
proceed TO build second to none"
Can anything be done to save the
conference and prevent the stampede
into barbarism that Is otherwise i'm
minent? It is generally agreed that
none. It would ut least keep the gov
ernments In touch and prevent arrna-
ments getting entirely out OF hand. II
1t is impossible to achieve dlssIma-
ment now. would it not be possible 70
agree to a limitation of armament on
the existing basis for term Of six
years? This would give Europe a
breathing space, during which 1t
might recover its sanity.
The one hopeful factor in the STU
alton Is that no country wants war
and every country breads war. This
is true even more Of peoples than Of
governments, and in spite of the ap-
parent stalemate that mas been
reached in the four months nesoti-
ations it Is still reasonable to nope
that some convention will be patcned
up that will save the conference and
prevent the undisguised race in COM
petitive armaments which its dnsolu-
ton would signal
. teesyrteht. 1s3l)