Evening star., 1935-01-10
|ARMS CONFERENCE
|RESUM|NG SOUGHT
Hope Spurs Administration
to Urge Favorable Vote
on World Court.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
The hope Of resumption of the
Limitation of Arms Conference at an
early date-presumably before next
Summers the reason the admin
istration Is anxious to obtain favor
able vote from the Senate regarding
America joining the World Court.
Foreign Minister Pierre Laval is re-
ported to be prepared to yield to the
point Of view Of the other powers to
recognize Germany's re-armament
Heretofore he has been adamant on
that question. This concession of the
French foreign minister paves the
way to bringing Germany back to the
Disarmament Conference, which she
deserted in October, 1898.
u. S. Role Important.
The United States has played an
important role at the previous Geneva
disarmament conferences and its in
terest in an effective reduction of
armies and navies has not been
changed. The administration Is re-
ported now not to leave a stone un-
turned to obtain an international
agreement for disarmament, which is
considered here to be the best means
towards world economic recovery.
The stumbling block which has
heretofore prevented an agreement
FranNn'c 4f
which led her to demand security
pacts In exchange for q reduction of
her armies.
The British government consistently
refused to enter into any security
pledge because, it said, Americas at
tltude In any future conf1agration re-
manned uncertain.
This country Is no more ready to
enter into any security agreements
than 1t was few years ago.
Pressing Troubles Past.
But in the light of President Roose-
veit's declarations on May 16, 1893. it
Is believed the European powers might
consider a substantial reduction of
armamentS, now that the most press
Ing political troubles seem to be clear
Ing, without asking for any definite
security past from this country.
The President is reported to stand
by what he has said 18 months ago.
That Is to say that If the powers
meeting at the Disarmament Confer
ence are ready to sign sincere agree
ment cutting down their armies and
navles the United States would give
a new Interpretation to the traditional
freedom Of the seas policy and would
be willing to consult with other
powers in case of a threat to the
worlds peace.
To make the task of this country
easier, President Roosevelt volunteered
to define in 1888 what constitutes an
aggression by qualifying as aggressor
the nation which during the disarm-
ament period sends its armed force
across its present frontiers.
Politics Caused Failure.
The Geneva conference failed. de-
spite this offer of the American Gov
ernment because of the political diff
culttes which existed q year ago be-
tween Germany and France and Italy
and France Now that the French
and the Italians have succeeded in
ironing out their main political prob
lens and that the Saar question will
be disposed of, the political situation
has improved to such an extent that
new disarmament conference Is
considered likely to meet with much
better success than ever before.
Under these circumstances. it is
believed that an indication from this
country that it would cooperate more
closely with the other nations in
policy of peace by joining the World
Court and by President Roosevelt re-
iterating his past offers would have a
good effect on the other countries and
might speed up limitation of inter-
national ornaments.