Governments, Weakened at Home, Tend Toward Peace

The Ruhr The little seed of peace, given by Herr Hugo Stinnes to Premier Mussolini in Italy nearly a month ago, sown by Mussolini and Jaspar in a subsequent conference at Milan, and watered with assiduous care by M. Loucheur, unofficial diplomat of French industry, and Premier Theunis of Belgium, has at length pushed its first leaves through the earth.

Premier Theunis is known to have disfavored the French policy of giving Britain the cold shoulder in the now possible reparations parley. It transpires that this far-seeing statesman was in communication with the Germans, and that he was responsible for sending M. Jaspar, Belgian Foreign Secretary, to Italy to hear the Stinnes proposals. When these were communicated to him he gave Loucheur full support for his mission to England. In this way he was able to bring considerable pressure to bear on Poincare, who found himself in a quandary owing to the popularity of Loucheur's efforts, in the recent meeting between the two premiers in Paris.

Signs of peace are only just visible, but that is in itself tangible evidence. The political news from Germany points to a more conciliatory attitude. The outlines of a Franco-Belgian agreement made by Poincare and Theunis were published, and point to the fact that economic guarantees between France, Belgium and Germany will be the medium through which a cut in the reparations bill will be accepted. In a speech at London, the Marquis Curzon, British Foreign Secretary, advised Germany to make a definite offer to France and Belgium. This was received in most European capitals, as a possible basis for direct negotiations.

As a matter of fact, the political atmosphere in Britain, Paris and! Berlin is none too healthy for the Governments in power. Pressure is being brought to bear on Bonar Law, Poincare and Cuno, mainly on account of Ruhr issues, by their political opponents. If the fall of these Governments is effected it would do much to clear the air and bring the Allies and Germany together in at much needed reparations conference.