Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-05-26
BY HAROLD E. SCARBOROUGH.

" ONDON.-Paradoxic enough,
although this week witnessed
two apparently war-like ges-
IL tures-the formal promulga-
ton in Germany Of a new
CONSUMPTION law and the announce
ment by Stanley Baldwin, Lord Presi-
dent of the council, that Britain would
treble her air force-the fact remains
that British statesmen are definitely
less pessimistic about the prospects
for preserving peace than they were
before these gestures were made.
Nor is this apparent contradiction
difficult to explain. 1t seems to the
British that at long last the men who
control Europe's destinies are giving
up shadow boxing and are beginning
to get to grips with realities.
In other words, the preliminary
bluffing which rendered academic
such proceedings as the disarmament
conferences and the security pacts
has now about come to an end. Nat
urally, it doesn't necessarily follow
that the negotiations conducted on
new basis will be any more fruitful
than the preceding ones have been.
It Is simply that whereas the So
called peace moves of the past few
years had practically no chance of
success because they were based on
illustrations rather than facts, the
present ones are at least being con-
Quoted on realistic basis.
TiroaS EditoriaI Cited
That basis, as it appears to the
British land to the British cabineD
is admirably appreciated in one SEN
tence of an editorial. which the Lon
don Times printed Wednesday:
mo one who reads with an i'm
partial mind can doubt that the point
is, the policy laid down by Hitler may
fairly constitute the basis of COM
plete settlement with Germany-a
free, equal and strong Germany in
stead of the PROSTATE Germany upon
which peace was imposed Is years
ago"
That it has taken 16 years for the
British fully to accept the position
that Germany, peace treaties or nc
peace treaties, cannot permanently be
relegated to an inferior position IN
Europe IS perhaps more of com
mentary upon the persistence OF
human illusions than it is tribute
to the sagacity of British statesman
ship. Whether France is even yet
willing to recognize this state of al
fairs and talk turkey with Germany
is another matter. British diplomats
however, have high hopes that direct
negotiations are now beginning be-
tween Berlin and Paris and may result
in mutual acceptance of some live
and let live" basis for the continued
existence of these two nations on the
same continent.
For now the British say the cards
are on the table and all their players
are betting with chips of the same
value; namely, armies, navies and ali
forces. 1t is no longer possible to
hope, the British point out. that Ger
many won't become a formidable
military power 1t is no longer pos
Sible for the Germans to hope that
the French don't really mean bust
ness when they contract anti-German
alliances. Finally, it can no longer
be assumed by any one that Britain
during the past decade the mainstay
Of the disarmament movement-will
not, if necessary, arm to the teeth to
protect herself.
More Chance for Agreement.
Now, therefore, the British think
the time for showdown is nearing
They admit that any peace that may
now be achieved will be an armed
one; but by that same token they be-
heve there is more chance of getting
an agreement for the limitaticus OF
ornaments than there was with one
group of countries theoretically dis
armed but actually possessing the
will to equality which can be more
dangerous than the material explo-
siveS.
Finally, the British feel that if for
reasons no uobler than those which
dictated the medieval "truces Of Cod
the plain desire for self-preServation-
possession by all the European coun-
tries of powerful armadas of war
planes constitutes such a threat to
civilian populations that some form
of limitation of aerial warfare now
seems more likely to be achieved than
heretofore
1t is noteworthy that within "a
hours after Britain announced a huge
increase in her air fleet, and while
the appeal for air force recruits was
still going out, governmental quarters
here were frankly admitting that it
was quite possible a greater portion
of these projected planes never would
be built.