Security Talk

British Foreign Secretary Austen Chamberlain pulled a string, the string released a weight, the weight hit a plank, the plank moved a rod, the rod tipped a latchet, the latchet released a spring, the spring opened a door and a ball began to roll.

String. Two months ago, the Germans surreptitiously handed Foreign Secretary Chamberlain a string labelled: "German Security Proposals." Mr. Chamberlain pulled.

Weight. At the other end of the string, was a German offer to guarantee the Rhine frontier against aggression in a treaty between Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany (TIME, Mar. 16). The offer tacitly agreed to abandon any claim to Alsace and Lorraine, and was in the nature of a frank recognition of the status quo. The Eastern frontier (i.e., the German-Polish-Czecho-Slovakian boundary) was specifically left for final settlement through arbitration.

Plank. In a speech in the House of Commons, Mr. Chamberlain outlined the attitude of the British Government to the German proposals. Summed up, the British Government regarded them as the beginnings of a political settlement on the Continent, as a substitution of a peace imposed by victors for a peace of amity and understanding.

Rod. The rod was held by France, whose attitude to the German proposals was hostile. Premier Herriot asseverated that there was no pact which in any way invalidated any provision of the Treaty of Versailles. The French Nationalists were of two views. On one hand, they had negotiated a series of alliances on the Continent which were designed to insure French ascendancy. They were told that the main advantage of the proposed five-power pact was that Britain would consider as a casus belli any violation of that pact. This, they argued, was accepting British protection and surrendering French continental supremacy. On the other hand, they were cynical of making any paper agreement with Germany, pointing to the fate of the Treaty of London guaranteeing the neutrality of Belgium. After making the reservations that Germany must become a member of the League of Nations, must make a satisfactory settlement regarding the infringements of the military clauses of the Versailles Treaty, must guarantee Poland's borders, France let go of the rod.

Latchet. The rod hit the latchet, which was in the shape of a smart German rejoinder that the demilitarized Rhine zone would be kept demilitarized, but that any question of the Polish boundary was out of place in a proposed treaty dealing with the Rhine frontier.

Spring. The spring extended with a jerk. Premier Herriot declared that France would not desert her allies ; but went on to say that, although the treaty would give France no more than she has already got in the Treaty of Versailles, a note on France's position would be sent to Germany.

Door. Matters had gone too far for retraction -- the door stood wide open for negotiations. Ball. The ball of a European political settlement was in motion. Not even the most skeptical observers could deny that matters of great historical significance were a-rolling.