Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-14

G4ldO Cs4Ab INV IA AtttA3A 1900
steadily been dominant at Geneva has
accounted for British lack of SYM
pathy with the League, notably in
Labor and Liberal circles. Thus it
is only as the League has begun to
crumble visib!y that British public
opinion has rallied to it.
Having bee.l largely responsible for
wrecking the League, however, the
British can now do little to save It,.
For the League could only be saved
now if it were invested with very spe-
ciflc authority and very definite means
to deal with aggression. Faced with
the necessity of agreeing to embark
their fleet anc army upon coerclve
sanctions, the British would undoubt-
edly draw back now as in the past,
unless their own immediate security
were at stake
Ethiopia to Seek Aid.
Just what will happen IN Geneva
when the Ethiopian affair comes up
again re,nain3 open to doubt. The
Ethiopians will, of course, press for
protection. Unquestionably the French
will try to have the issue pushed aside.
Probably they will be supported by
the Soviets, who also are interested
in preserving common front toward
Germany. As for the Italians, even
if they linger in the face of debate,
they will certainly depart If there
should be a hint of censure of their
course. Under such circumstances 1t
is almost possible to imagine the Ger
mans returning to Geneva just Tor
the joy of supporting the British
against the former allies of England.
In auy event, when the Germans
get ready to move into Austria 1t Is
plain that the precedentS furnished by
japanese action in Manchuria and by
Italian in Ethiopia will come in handy.
But the truth is that France, Italy,
the SovietS and the little entente are
already turning to regional and mu-
tual assistance pactS as guarantees OF
security and abandoning even nominal
reliance upon the covenant OF the
League Yet even here there is little
sense of certainty. for Italian rela-
lions with Germany have materially
improved in recent months-~
What remains sure is that Ger
man attack upon Belgium or France
would insure British actiou against
Germany. At the moment German
attack upon Italy, or the invasion OF
Austria. which would be the same in
its effect, would bring France to Italy's
aid. The Soviet Union is now COM
mitted to defend Czechoslovakia against
Germany and France is allied to both
Slav states. But just what France
could accomplish on behalf of either
remains obscure. However, Germany
is little likely to resort to force any,
where openly for the present. Her
game must be to wait and see what
happens to Italy in Ethiopia and how
the present Anglo-French quarrel
turns out.
British Effort Pledged.
The British, as have said, are bound
to make a desperate effort to restore
some semblance of reality In the
League. They are. too. certain to go
on with their obvious campaign to get
the United States to join them in
collective system to prevent war. a
system which would have to center in
Geneva. The possibility that out of
the mess some Franco German truce
might emerge is also not absent from
the British mind. But the Germans
10 hornron fhnir
cent agreements with London and the
French are so suspicious because Of
these same agreements that the prom
Use of successful talks between Paris
and Berlin is not bright.
In any event the Anglo German
naval agreement has done for the
League as an agency to restrain Mus
solini's Ethiopian adventure and the
British government is doomed to be
caught between the pressure of
League sentiment at home and the
resentment of Italian, French and
Soviet publics abroad On the sur
face these details would seem to point
to the development of Anglo German
intimacy, but the simple truth is that
there is no enthusiasm for any such
association in Great Britain, where
the domestic excuses of the Nazis are
still viewed with utmost disapproval.
Because the naval agreement with
Germany seemed a heaven-sent OPP
portunity, the British admiralty i'm
posed it upon the government and
tho oovorpp,oy,t had %o ,ooLo {Ia hast
of what resulted. It has still to do
that and at the same time to try
in some way to protect the League
from the consequences of Italian plans
and French support of those plans.
Undoubtedly the French will make
this excessively hard for the Baldwin
cabinet, but the domestic political
situation in France is far from at
tractive. Perhaps Baldwin may be
able to find way to soften French
resentment, but here, again, his task
will not be easy.
Meantime, with a war assured in
Africa, an election in England and
with the domestic political conditions
in France becoming disturbing If not
alarming, the general situation in
Europe seems uniquely designed to
favor Hitler's plans. German rearma-
ment is proceeding apace, the iron
circle about the Reich suggests ap-
reaching disintegration and at any
moment opportunity may beckon in
Austria. Nevertheless, If the outside
circumstances are propitious for Ger
many, there is no mistaking the
mounting economic and financial
crisis at home. And that, in the end,
may be responsible for precipitating
o new crisis, just when the situation
seems specifically most TRANQUIL.