Evening star., 1936-07-12
LOcarnO Conference.

f1Iillu tIlc pdCuLCdtOTy dCllNllleS WHICH
at present pre-occupy Europe, and, in
deed, as an integral part of them, the
Western powers are now concentrating
upon the conference shortly to be held
. at Brussels to deal with Germany's vio-
lation of the Locarno pact through re-
militarization of the Rhineland. Great
Britain, France and Belgium are certain
to participate, but the presence of Ger
many and Italy is in doubt. Hitler and
Mussolini are more or less reliably re-
ported unwilling to be represented at
Brussels unless guaranteed certain i'm
portant concessions in advance. Berlin
and Rome share in common one gnaw-
ing ambition. They mutually desire re-
moval OF the war guilt" stigma. Ger
many cheriShes her ancient animosity
to the Versailles treaty clause which
holds her responsible for the World War
The Fascists demand that the League
verdict of Italian aggression against
Ethiopia be wiped out. Italy also wants
official recognition of her conquest and
assurance of financial aid in exploiting
it. Germany would, of course, like
Brussels to pronounce demilitarization
of the Rhineland a dead issue, as, in
fact, it has been ever since the Nazis
turned that portion of the Locarno pact
into scrap of paper on the ground that
the Franco-Soviet agreement released
them from any obligation to respect it.
Hitlerites continue notoriously to be
dissatisfied with the status quo which
finds millions of Germans under non
German rule.
Thus the Brussels conference is
doomed from the outset to take on the
aspect of a bargaining counter, with
slight prospect of rehabilitating the
Locarno agreement without vital give
and-take in various directions. Since
conclusion of the original pact in 1925,
whereby the five signatory powers agreed
to maintain existing territorial boun-
daries in Western Europe, political and
military conditions have undergone far
reaching changes. Germany, under Nazi
dictatorship, has rearmed Italy, with
her victory over the League of Nations
and Ethiopia has immensely enhanced
her prestige. Soviet Russia has re-
entered the ranks of first-class powers
and is again in military alliance with
France. Great Britain is rearming on a
prodigious scale, mainly to meet the
menace that confronts her across the
North Sea, in the form of revived Ger
man military, naval and air power, on
pre-1914 lines. British reluctance to re-
enter into continental military commit
ments is not concealed.
To what extent, under these altered
circumstances Great Britain, France,
Italy, Germany and Belgium are willing
to reaflrm the pledges of eleven years
ago, is problematical. On the face of
things, Hitler and Mussolini are in posi-
ton to drive stern bargains. The two
dictators are certain to present stiff
terms as the price of future peace-pre-
Solving eo-ope4dGioi dAo AhaS pun oiieh
interests to that end. In light of the
glaring failure of the collective security
system at Geneva, the smaller nations
of the Old World may well shiver in
their boots as the so-called great powers
assemble once again to view Europe
through strictly nationalist eyes, with
every nation for itself and the devil take
the hindmost as the probable guiding
motive.