Evening star., 1935-03-17

cially the governments of France and
Great Britain. have become a COM
monplace. Sir John Simon has paid
repeated visits to Paris and has also
been TO Rome.
Hitherto, however, Germany has
been outside the orbit of these direct
and intimate discussions. This has
been especially the case since the Hit
Ter regime came in and since Germany
withdrew from the Disarmament Con-
ference and the League Of Nations.
The result has been stereotyping Of
Western Europe into two camps, with
Britain, France and Italy (more or
leSs) in one group. which originated
policy, and Germany, outside. The
fact that Germany's withdrawal from
Geneva was largely responsible for this
did not make the breach less regret
table and one passage in the Anglo
French communique Of February 8
was interpreted in Berlin as an at
tempt to place the conduct Of nego-
tiations on a Franco British basis.
Nothing could be more fatal to those
negotiations than such a suspicion,
and Sir John Simon's visit to Herr
Hitler is designed to remove any
ground for that suspicion. 1t will be
the first direct personal contact that
the British government has had with
the German chancellor and the issue
of the discussions will be fraught with
momentouS consequences.
What IS in doubt is Sir Johns
success in prevailing on the German
chancellor to accept the other pro-
posals. about which so far he has
shown no enthusiasm. This is par
ticularly the case in regard to the
Eastern European pact. The idea OF
these regional pactS, by which the
peace of Europe can be consolidated
under the aegis of the League. has
taken strong hold of the public mind
and Germany has adduced no con-
vincing ground for declining to sign
the Eastern pact. If she persists in
her refusal. the fact will give
color to the suspicion that Hitler still
entertainS dreams of the extension OF
German influence in the East OF
Europe in cooperation with Poland
which. between the hammer of Rus
sia and the anvil of Germany, has
apparently come down on the side
of the anvil and has also declined
to sign the Eastern pact.
If Sir John could prevail on Hitler
to accept the Franco-BritiSh pro-
posals in this respect, he would clear
the sky of Europe of one OF its most
threatening clouds and would make
the return of Germany to Geneva
practically assured Until Germany
resumes her place in the counsels OF
the League. there can be no conf
dence in her Pacific intentions and
no decisive program toward disarma-
ment, and the measure of the sue
cess of Secretary Simon's meeting
with Hitler will be the extent to
which that meeting has smoothed
Germany's path to Geneva.
But, however, strongly he presses
the German chancellor to join the
Eastern pact, he will not, of course,
make the air convention with Britain
and France dependent on Hitler's
decision about the pact. The air
convention would alone go far to
change the atmosphere on the Rhine.
Now, as always, the rivalry between
France and Germany is at the bot
tom of European unrest, and no one
familiar with France can doubt the
extent to which she is oppressed by
the fear of a sudden air attack
from Germany. A convention which
removed that fear would be a land
mark in European history.
If Sir John Simon's visit to Berlin
brings that landmark nearer, it will
have done much to relieve the strain
In Western Europe. If in addition
he can persuade Hitler to adopt a
policy which will remove the anxieties
on his Eastern front. he will have
gone far to unravel the whole problem
of European unrest.
tCopyrisht. 1850