Pact Making

LOCARNO (Dec. 1, 1.925) set Europe off on a decade tinged with "pactomania." The Locarno Pact and sweet "Spirit of Locarno" (which assumed that Germany had kissed France and made up) produced a diplomatic expanding universe of larger and feebler Pollyanna conferences until in 1933 every nation was represented in London at the World Economic Conference. Among statesmen Benito Mussolini was almost alone in openly predicting Pollyanna Diplomacy's inevitable doom. Said he: "It is absurd to expect even the smallest achievement from 66 nations all talking at once."

While President Roosevelt was hastening the wreck by withdrawing from under the World Conference his proffers of aid to international monetary stabilization, Europe received a new lead from the Four-Power Pact, conceived in progressive pessimism at Rome to get results by concrete agreements between small groups of states. Today a tempered revival of Locarno optimism, fused with post-Depression pragmatism, has evolved the momentous Eastern Locarno Pact now in the draft stages. Its signing and ratification by the Great Powers this year may put a constructive period to the confused Pact Decade: 1925-35.

Above, the Locarno signatories. Both dead today, French & German Pollyannas M. Aristide Briand (A) and Dr. Gustaf Stresemann (B) received the Nobel Peace Prize, as did Britain's Austen Chamberlain (C) whom George V rewarded with the Garter. Pessimist Mussolini, who received nothing, was among the original Pact initialers at Locarno, Switzerland but did not come to London for the decorative affixing of signatures at the British Foreign Office. Afterward there was high tea at No. 11 Downing Street. The host: Winston Churchill (D), then Chancellor of the Exchequer. Extreme left and right, inimitable Lucy & Stanley Baldwin, he then Prime Minister, today Lord President of the Council.

Exulted the Berliner Tageblatt after Locarno, eight years before Adolf Hitler came to power:

"Germany, which two years ago was isolated, spurned beneath the victor's heels and seemed the poorest ragamuffin in Europe, today, while still lacking an army, becomes a factor of might once more." THE LOCARNO PACT was prettied up in "The Spirit of Locarno" by being tied with what was called "blue ribbon, the color of the Blue Bird of Happiness, the color of peace." Supplemental Locarno accords were made even prettier with a Maypole effect achieved by intertwining ribbons in the colors of the signatory states. Inevitably this lush, pre-Depression spirit gave way to the spirit of today's hard-boiled pacts.

THE FOUR-POWER PACT (July 15, 1933), originated by Premier Mussohm and signed by him for Italy with the Ambassadors of Great Britain, Germany and France bound the signatories to "co-operate"--for ten years. Scared were the satellites of trance (Poland Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Rumania) who feared their protectrice was about make some sort of deal with Germany behind their backs. To calm the satellites clauses were inserted bringing action under the Four-Power Pact "within the framework ot the League of Nations, to which they are parties. German withdrawal from the League put the Pact on ice but it has served to jar Europe into action. Poland, suspicious as a scorned lover hastily made a ten-year pact with Germany behind the back of France and ever since hard-boiled regional pacts adjusting specific interests have been popping.

POLAND AND GERMANY (Jan. 26, 1934) pledged mutual non-aggression and promised to defend each other against attack with a ten-year pact signed in Berlin by Polish Ambassador Lipski. In the Reich this renunciation for a decade of German designs on the Polish Corridor rates as Adolf Hitler's most unpopular policy.

THE BALKAN PACT (Feb. 9, 1934) signed at Athens by Foreign Ministers Maximos, Tewfik, Titulescu and Jeftitch of Greece, Turkey, Rumania and Yugoslavia pledges all signatories to defend the frontiers of each. Attached was a secret protocol, since divulged, extending the Pact to guarantee all Balkan frontiers against aggression by any Balkan State, and to punish any Balkan State which may join any State whatsoever which attacks a Balkan State. Unless they turn out to be scraps of paper, the Balkan Pact and protocols mean cast iron peace in Europe's inflammatory cockpit.

On the sidelines stand the three smart Foreign Ministers of the Little Entente Rumania's towering Titulescu, Czechoslovakia's astute Benes and Yugoslavia's subtle Jeftitch. Because of them the "Little Entente" is in effect a supplementary Great Power. By their recent Pact of Organization, reenforcing their longstanding entente, the three countries agree to function in international affairs as a single unit, represented at a given place and moment by whichever Little Entente Foreign Minister the other two have designated.

SOVIET RUSSIA AND REPUBLICAN FRANCE were changed from secret enemies into secret bedfellows by mounting mutual hate & fear of Adolf Hitler, rabid anti-Red and anti-Republican. Symbol of this Franco-Russian bedding was Soviet Russia's admission to the League of Nations with French Foreign Minister Barthou as chief sponsor. He and Soviet Foreign Minister Litvinoff had meanwhile secretly begotten in draft form the Eastern Locarno Pact first revealed by M. Barthou at London (July 8, 1934), today the diplomatic white hope of Europe. Rumor persists that he and Comrade Litvinoff arranged a Russo-French military entente. In the French Chamber of Deputies last autumn Military Budget Rapporteur Archimbaud blabbed: "The Russian Army . . . has been offered to us in the event of war with Germany!''

ITALY AND FRANCE (Jan. 7, 1935), nagging neighbors ever since the War, buried their grievances when Foreign Minister Laval arrived in Rome to sign with II Duce specific pacts: 1) ceding to Italy 45,000 sq. mi. of French Africa; 2) pledging to France II Duce's aid toward causing Germany to sign the Eastern Locarno, re-enter the League of Nations and stop trying to Nazify Austria.

THE EASTERN LOCARNO PACT if and when signed, will pledge Germany and her eastern neighbors to permit no aggression in either direction across Germany's eastern frontiers, just as the original Locarno Pact is a mutual pledge to prevent aggression across Germany's western frontiers. This goal took new French Premier Flandin and M. Laval to London for urgent conference fortnight ago with British Foreign Secretary Sir John Simon and Mr. Eden. When Britain promptly agreed with France and cabled their Eastern Locarno proposals to Berlin last week, Realmleader Hitler at once canceled all appointments on all other subjects for ten days, conferred Eastern Locarno-wise with every German best mind available.

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