AFTER THE STORM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 614, 19 August 1933, Page 3

AFTER THE STORM

CALM IN EUROPE PUBLICITY OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FULLY VINDICATED. SOME DANGERS THAT REMAIN., The barometer of lEurope rises and falls; at present it points to favourable weather, though it has not yet moved to "set fair." Nevertheless, we may welcome unreservedly the indications of a serious resolve to hanish the spectre of war. It was because the dangers were realised that there was a sudden change. No good can come from hiding the facts. On the contrary, we have seen that a compldte exposuire of ,an alarming situation immediately determined far more earnest efforts than have ibeen made for a long time, writes Sisley Huddleston in the Daily Mail. In ignoranee or in apathy we were' drifting towards the rapids. Happily a cry of warning was raised in time. Publicity in international affairs has heen triumphantly vindicated. Three major pronouncements have thrilled the world and have wrung hope from the very jaWs of despair. There was first the remarkably welltimed message of President Roosevelt, demanding a "durahle peace for our generation," and calling for- the elimination, or at least the substantial reduction of offensive weapons on the lines of the MacDonald plan. His words echoed like a trumpetblast around the globe. They saved from tragic fiasco the Disarmament Conference, apparently moribund, but ready to revive. Perhaps more important still, they caused Germany, incensed by her grievances, to reflect before uttering irreparable defiance. Had Herr Hitler yielded to tbe mood of the nioment, it is difficult to see what appeasement would have been possible. Statesmanlike appeal was answered by statesmanlike response, and Herr Hitler, speaking with exceptional restraint, asserted that if Germany's aims remained unaltered, Germany's methods would be resolutely pacific. The Third Note.

The'tbird cbeering note was struck by Mr. Norman Davis in his definition at Geneva of America's intentions in the hypothesis of an unmistakable menace. The United States is aware that she cannot stand. aloof from European strife. She must unreservedly come into consultation. If, despite the solemn condemnation by all nations of a would-he aggressor, hostilities hreak out— and surely this can only be imagined on the supposition that dementia has taken possession of a particular people and their rulers — then America does not indeed pledge herself in advance to take specific action, for that would be usurping the prerogatives of the Senate, but she does proclaim, here and now, her sympathy with the assailed. She would refuse :aid of any kind to ^ the guiity nation. Good Anglo-American relations, which were more than once jeopardised during the war, are thus assured. The progress is appreciable. A new atmosphere is created on the eve of the Economic Conference, on whose success or failure our fate may depend. The world is" -unquestionahly enheartened. It can now attend to its business with a calmer mind. Whoevev seeks to trouhle the deliherations of London will carry a heavy load of guilt. The World Must Know. That is why the attempts to reach at least a provisional agreement on disarmament at Geneva are of vital importanee. It is essential that we should know whether the nations aie turned towards war or towards peace. To look for a miraculous or instantaneous accomplishment would be to deceive ourselves; hut at any ra._e we have a right to expect a complete clarifioation of the general position. At the same time, it would be altogether wrong to allow ourselves to he lulled again into a false sense of security. From no wonwards we should have more confidence that the pioblems made by man can he solved by man, and are not imposed upon us by some grim destiny independent of our violition. But- we must remain alert. , i ^ It is perfectly natural that there should be a lingering scepticism and some caution. Take the case of France, who has heen thoroughly alarmed by recent happenings. "Put yourself in her place." She expresses herself as willing to surrendel- many weapons, provided she has concrete proofs of Germany's sincenty,^ and provided she is convinced of the cash value" of international championship of lawfuli procedure in the modification of inapplicable treaties. Uratorical professions are helpful; but the criterion must he performance. The fundamental contradiction of a Europe in which one set of na--tions is compelled to-press for territorial changes, and in which another set of nations stubhornly stands on the status quo,. remains precisely as it was. Frontier Readjustments. The opposition to the revival-of the Four-Power Pact made this incipient confiict clear. It is proposed that the Great Powers should work in co-ope-ration and take the initiative in readjustments that may be deemed necessary — and that are indeed foreseen in an explicit clause of the Covenant of the League of Nations. Nothing would appear to he more desirable. If the Great Powers agreed to keep the peace, then peace should be ensured. There is not the slightest suggestion of bullying the smaller nations. On the contrary, there is now a tendency for the smaller nations to bully the Great Powers— to set up their veto, to instruct the Great Powers what they may do and what they may not do. There is even now nothing more misehievous than the attitude of certain recently created nations which' owe their very existence to the Great Powers. They are perpetually asserting a priori that there shall he no revision of treaties, and that ^ny step in that direction will provoke war. It is utterly unreasonable to f ulminate against propositions that have not heen formulated. As a matter of common sense, it

should be possible to consider coolly ! any project whatsoever that is infcended to allay the rivalries and soften the exaggerated nationalisms that have heen perilously multiplied o'n the | Continent. '