Disarmament

P: Latin Europeans viewed askance last week an invitation transmitted by the U. S. State Department to France and Italy suggesting that "observers" from those nations would be welcome at the projected Coolidge Three-Power naval disarmament parley (TIME, Feb. 21) of the U. S., Britain and Japan. Newspapers in Paris and Rome seemed predominantly against the sending of "observers" by their Governments, but Rome made no official reply last week to the U. S.

P: French resentment at the U. S. disarmament attitude crystallized sharply when the League of Nations Secretariat made public last week a memorandum from the U. S. practically negativing all the recommendations of the League of Nations Preparatory Commission for a disarmament conference TIME, May 24 et seq.). A British memorandum backing up the U. S. stand was reputed on high authority to be in preparation. Frenchmen felt that the slim chances for holding a League disarmament conference were evaporating.

P: Culture is the forte of famed Art-Patron-Banker Otto Hermann Kahn, but at Paris last week he yielded to his foible, omniscience, and spoke of international politics: "In Europe it is a tradition very rarely departed from, that when once a Foreign Minister, with the approval of his Cabinet, has made a commitment, ratification by Parliament may be taken for granted.

"In America, on the contrary, the fact that the Chief Executive has committed himself to a certain course of action involving an obligation in the nature of a treaty, or what may be construed as such, by no means insures that such a course will be ratified even by the members of his own party in the Senate, let alone by the required two-thirds majority.

"If America were officially connected with the League of Nations, our representative would inevitably express certain views and advocate or join in certain policies, which expressions, however guarded and conditioned, would be looked upon by Europe as American commitments, while on the other hand the American Congress might take a differing attitude and the American Senate would consider itself perfectly free to disavow such views and policies and to reject any such commitments as would be subject to its control.

"Because of this and other reasons I feel convinced that the entrance of America into the League would be liable to lead to further difficulties between America and Europe."