, 1935-07-14
BY Continental Argus

Great Britain - The European
capitals n still gaspirg from the
shock Of the Anglo-G German naval
agreement" How can England break
five different binding agreements
and simply give Germany the right
to build q powerful fleet that viii
menace all Europe2" The practi-
cal observer Just asks, why" And
the answer is rather startling.
Many think that Sir Samuel
Hoare. the new British Foreign Min
lister. and his associates were fooled
into the agreemen. by the sIave per-
~suasiveness Of Hitler's emissary.
Ribbentrop. But hard-headed STAN
ley Baldwin and Anthony Ecen, who
know Europe inside out. had their
hands in the matter. too. Ribben-
trop came to London for "informa-
tive and informal talks" about Hit
ler's fleet demands. The former
Champagne salesman expected 70
have TO use his finest arts. IL wasn't
necessary - the cake was already
cut for him. Hitler's $3.50 ratio oe-
mand was accepted without the bat
OF an eyelash - and even more I'M
heard OF. the flexible 45-l00To sub
marine clause. Germany, OF course.
must give up all colonial plans un-
til England sees fit to give the word.
The German navy will - for the
present - be built for the Baltic
Sea to keep the Russians In order.
Germany will wage no war against
British shipping. This should be
set to paper and signed Immediate
", suggested Sir Samuel. Aghast.
Herr o Ribbentrop and the Ger
man delegation fastened 10 obey.
London has come 70 some very
definite conclusions. Russia Is be-
coming uncomfortably strong. nov
with France her ally and japan en-
gagged with China. Moscow Is
stretching out into the Balkans and
the Baltic. The French-Italian
friendship is too cordial. The naval
cooperation Of their rapidly growing
fleets j~eopardiZes England'S supre-
Oacy. especially in the Medite rare-
an = where England Is extremely
weak - on the route to India. IL
Is high time that the old balance OF
power system be restored on the con-
tinent. II France will net sCbsti-
tute common sense for the danger
Gus ruins Of Versailles and the i'm
possibly complicated system OF
collective security" England Is pre-
pared to and will - sign a bilat-
eral air agreement with Germany.
Germany's new ships will draw the
best boats OF the French Mediter-
ranean squadron TO northern waters.
Italy will have TO pay more atten-
ton To England's wishes Russia
will be checked. And England VIII
have accomplished her purpose.
Right or wrong, my country
Those are the reasons for England's
amazing step. as given to your cor
respondent BY high authority. A
shower OF criticism has descended on
the perpetrators. and Az these init
nations are violently denied but
the facts stand.
France - Laval is 1a7ed BY the
brutality Of Il. Like most French
men, he Is firmly convinced that
only an iron ring Of pGcts around
Germany can keep "the mailman
Hitler from eventual war. Any
announcement, any concession. only
leeds Hitler's paranoia, and his pres
tige at home has been enormously
enhanced. He thought that England
had realized that after Sir John
Simon's visit to Berlin. IL certain
" seemed 80 at Stresa when England
sclemnly signed the resolution con-
demning Germany's rearmament
and agreed for the second time 70
have no truck with Hitler privately.
And now, England. like a sneak
thief ]" When the London naval
talks began Laval received periodic
reports from the London Foreign
office on the progress OF the "infor-
NAL negotiations" but he had no
idea that a pact was In the offing.
London Immediately sent Eden 70
explain away the s~uddenness. But
Laval only knows that although
England can probably be counted on
to help In the next war, she VIII 40
nothing TO prevent II In the
French sense. II spit upon the Eng
fish. the selfish, stupid brutes." said
A French deputy TO your correspond
ent. They are worse than dLsHon-
est. they are stupid. Do they really
think that Hitler, once Germany has
recovered. will limit her navy TO the
Baltic? Can one sign pactS with
a man that knows n honor and
murders his best friends Can we
follow the new British system and
sign a military treaty with hitler2
NO, we must 20 on without Inf.-nd,
we must build up u army ard or
friends - Italy. Russia and me LII
tie Entente - and meet force with
force" That IN nicer words was ex-
actly what Laval told Eden.
Fngland's step may be justified BY
her own interests, but II has smash
ed every possibility OF an intcrna-
tional security system. The French
are pig-headed on the German sub
iect and would rather SPEND their
last dime on ornaments than make
n bilateral military dicker with Hit
Ter. Laval. thoroughly fr,rhaened,
has given the General Stesf q free
hand. In spite Of the huge budget
deficit that he is trying desperately
10 reduce in face Of the menace Of
personal unpopularity and political
anarchy. the government proposes
to spend an extra two hundred mil
lion dollars over the regular arms
appropriations for the current year.
Minister OF Marine PetH Is pre-
pairing n huge naval program for
next year. The War Ministry has
pushed through a bill for the or
ganization OF industry In war. Work
has been resumed on the strengthen
49, ~ fha fortress belt that has al