Evening star., 1934-04-08
CONTINUED From First Page.)

treaty for guaranteeing France. the
British finally did make a mcve in
this direction. At Locarno they
pledged their defense of the existing
order between Holland and Switzer-
land against both French and Ger
man attack
Laid to Hitler Victory.
Having done that, however, they
stopped. That was the limit Of their
willingness to assume European re-
sponsibilities. The French now at
tempted to get similar guarantees for
all Europe, while the British. having
made this considerable contribution to
French security, endeavord to per-
Suade the French to make parallel
matter OF armaments, which might
relieve the general tension. But the
French refused.
The British believe this uncompro-
missing stand of the French was re-
sponslble in no small measure for the
Hitler victory. The French, on the
| contrary. explain German resistance
| by the American and British refusal
to defend the frontiers they had
| shared largely in making. The point
has become academic now, but it still
explains latent bitterness in both
countries
Nevertheless. the British are forced
to face the fact that the rise of Hitler
has changed the European situation
and their relation to 1t. Success on
the mart nf ~, of
! rearmament and reorganization would
foreshadow a German domination Of
the Continent far less attractive in
British eyes than the recent French
supremacy. for it would insure con-
fiict and far-reaching change, while
at the worst the French were only
seeking TO preserve the existing order.
The British recognize that the Ger
mans will arm, that their air pro-
gram is immediate and that a naval
program is bound to follow. True to
her tradition. she would like to post
pone what she cannot prevent, but
she can only prevent in SO far as she
can bring the French to recognize
Germanys right to arm up TO the
French level, and persuade the Ger
mans not to 60 beyond that level and
thus force Britain to vast air expan-
sion.
French May Get Guarantees.
The League Of Nations, the Kellogg
pact-all the machinery that repre-
sents an attempt to organize peace
by collective international effort-has
gone into the discard. Disarmament
Is dead. But as a practical matter
1t may still be possible to arrive at
some agreement in the matter of
temporary limitation. if only a Fran
co-German compromise is possible
At this point, however, the French
say quite clearly, We must have new
guarantees for our own security; Lo-
carno is not enough"
Some guarantees. too. the French
may obtain. The situation is con-
fused. but it is evident that the Brit
ish are reluctantly ready to do some
thing more to insure the permanence
OF the existing frontiers between
France and Belgium on the one hand
and Germany on the other For the
British will never willingly or pas
sively permit German armies to oc-
cupy Belgium or Northern France.
And the French. not without some
warrant, believe that a British decla =
ration on this point, clear and un-
| compromising. would result in turning
! German attention away from the
Rhine, il not forever, at least for a
| long time to come
II France should get such a guar
anty. however. while the effect upon
Franco-German relations might be
calming the result for Central Eu-