Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-28

ference. When Davis told DelbOS this
the latter shrugged his shoulders and
asked. In our place, would you do
anything else? Could We count on
the United States Fleet to support us
in the event Japan put her threats
into effect?" Davis was evasive and
talked about common fronts, and the
French complied with the Japanese
request
Toxic is always considerate. It
agreed with the communicate of the
Quai d'Orsay that there have been
no ultimatums or threats; that France
acted on her own initiative. But
Henry Beranger, the chairman OF the
Foreign Relations Committee of the
Senate, spilled the beans by stating
bluntly that France had yielded to a
threatening japanese note. France
had to save her own face; she had
to show that she is a naval power
to be counted with and Immediately
dispatched one cruiser to Saigon,
Indo-China.
The Brussels Conference, like John
Browns body is dead. but its soul
goes marching on. It's the soul Of
democracy. our diplomats inform us,
which must be maintained. OF course.
the powers gathered at Brussels could
do nothing to save China. But they
hoped to save the spirit of the nine
power pact. The principles embodied
in that treaty must be kept alive and
periodically dangled before the ewes
Of the public.
Theoretical Unity.
For the time being there is a unity
of ideals among the liberal powers,
but no unity of action can be found
among them. They are all in full
agreement that show of strength
would solve the situation, but each
wants "the other fellow" to take it
upon himself to show the actual
strength.
1t is now an open secret that before
the Brussels Conference convened
there were conversations among the
interested powers to apply sanctions
against Japan. These conversations
started at Geneva when the League
of Nations took the Chinese complaint
under Amusement. Sobe 50-odd ma
| tions gathered on the shores of Lake
| Leman and decided that Japan was
terrible nation to treat the Chinese
so roughly. but, said their representa-
tives. what is the good of talking sane
tons? They were tried against Italy
and proved complete failure. Why
take chance again? Those fellows
the Japanese. mean business; they
might even fight. Let's place the baby
on the doorstep of the nine powers
which signed the 1922 Washington
agreement. And they did. The nine
powers all had avowedly vital interests
in the maintenance of China's terri
torial Observation-Disclosures they would
not have gone to the trouble of con-
cocting that pact.
At Geneva. Davis. Delbos and Eder
talked facts privately. Said Eden and
Delbos to Norman Davis: If We de-
eide to do any coercing. it's up tc
your country to do it. We will applaud
and offer you our best wishes. But
We have the Mediterranean situation
on our hands and cannot detach any
| force from our home waters. All, il
| the Italians and the Germans would
only show themselves reasonable and
leave us alone. The whole British
| fleet would 90 to the Pacific and teach
those fellows lesson" Norman Davis
agreed that the Mediterranean lines Of
communication are all-important for
Great Britain so long as it maintains
its predominant position east OF the
Suez Canal. If that position were lost
| the Mediterranean would be no more
than a trolley line leading to a cul.
de-Sac.
Italy Chimes In.
Eden and Delbos began to consider
this argument when Mussolini decided
to join the German treaty
thus forming the powerful Berlin.
| Tokio-Rome alliance. That was suf.
flcient. Deibos and Eden threw theil
hands in the air, kicked Litvinoff Out
OF the conference.-the presence OF
/ the Russian was obnoxious to the holy
! alliance-and decided to keep the spirit
of the conference alive-but just the
spirit.
The German-Italian-J blot
is not so solid as it appears. There
| are many conflicting interests These
however, have been temporarily SCI
aside. A common policy has been de.
vised, taking into consideration only
| the interests which are parallel.
Actually there are fewer conflicts o.
| interests among the United States
France and Great Britain than among
the bellicose group. Yet it is more
difficult to find basis for common
| policy And the fault is not ours. St
frequently have We been deceived--ir
the war debts and the Far Eastern
crisis in 193l-that there is among the
people OF this country a deep sus-
picion when it comes to cooperating
with foreign countries.
| Under the circumstances, the ad.
ministration is seeking policy which
should take care of our vital interests
and yet keep us aloof from any en-.
! tanglements. Whether it will find q
means Of formulating an American
policy-a policy which must take into
consideration the future, say Is years
hence-which will respect the demands
of our people for mo entanglements
remains to be SEEN
(Copyrisht, 1872