Evening star., 1938-10-02
Versailles a Memory as Farley
Points Way to Lasting Peace
With Arms Race at Its Peak and Political Iniustces
of World War Treaties Ended, Scaling
Down Can Be Had.
By Constantine Brown.

7 UNTIL Wednesday morning war ap-
peafed unavoidable Europes dip
~ lomats gazed down the abyss into
which they were ready to plunge
their countries and saw at the bottom the
only result which another war could pro-
duce-chaos.
Since Monday night the trans-Atlantic
telephone has been buzzing more frequently
In the White House than in the State De-
partment. Joseph P. Kennedy in London
and william Bullitt in Paris reported the
situation desperate-almost irremediable.
Leon Blum, former Premier Of France, who,
while in office, took several leaves out Of
Mrs. Roosevelt's New Deal, appealed per-
sonally to his friend whom he has never
met. He urged him to use the tremendous
prestige Of the United States to avert .
terrible catastrophe.
Chamberlain, seemingly, had failed for
the second time; Britain and France were
mobilizing; Czechoslovakia had changed
cabinets and the military government Of
Gen. Jan Syrovy was inclined to withdraw
the concessions accepted by his predeces-
sor Hodza. Germany was gathering forces
in her southern province Of Austria.
Russia was concentrating on the Polish
borders; the nve railroad lines-two dou-
bic tracked, from Kiev to Kamenets
Podolsk and from Moscow to the western
borders Of Poland-had been closed to
freight and passenger trafic and were
ranidlv transy,orfip1 man .,d ,,,. 49,.
terlal to the frontier. Poland had mobil-
lied 350000 men on the Czechoslovak
border and important forces were moved
to take defensive positions on the Russian
frontiers. The British Mediterranean fleet
was concentrated at Alexandria, ready to
60 east and protest the Indian Ocean
sea lanes, while the whole of the home
fleet, including the remaining units of the
Mediterranean feet, were assembled In the
channel and IN the North Sea with decks
cleared for action. The French and the
British people did not want to fight but
there was no other way out War
is certain, said Leon Blum desperately.
unless the President Of the United States
would come out Of his shell and intervene.
U. 5. and Mussolini Responsible.
Undersecretary Of State Sumner Welles,
who had Just returned from Europe, con-
hrmed the gloomiest forecast William
Phillips, Ambassador in Rome, prognosti-
Gated that the Italian Army would be
mobilized before Friday night Mr.. Roose-
velt decided to act. When the history Of
these fateful days can be written and If
the peace Of Europ-of the world for
that materials been served, credit prob
ably will be given to Mussolini But behind
Mussolini was the compelling power Of the
United States. On Monday night Mr..
Roosevelt appealed without effect to Hitler
and President Benes. Both leaders agreed
with the President that war is horrible
thing but it was the others responsibility
If it did break out.
Mr.. Roosevelt is too old hand At politics
to accept the first no. He discussed the
situation with his advisers. He is said
to have phoned the British and the French
leaders, too. Why should hundreds of
millions Of people be subjected to un-
believable sufferings? What was the key
to the crisis? All the Europeans seemed to
agree that the war would be precipitated
because Of a difference not of principles
but Of modalities. All had agreed that
the Sudetenland shall be given to Germany,
but they could not get together on the
date and manner Of the surrender.
There were no immediate differences, Mr..