* * Equality for Germany The presence of the principal
Foreign Ministers at Geneva in connexion with the Manchurian affair is provi- ding a useful opportunity for conversations on Germany's equality of status claim. Baron Neurath is a man of sense and moderation, and both he and the Pre. sident; whom he directly represents in the absence of a settled German Government, must be assumed to want to see their country back at the Conference as soon as she can take her place• there On terms that satisfy her. There is no obvious reason why the Germans should make trouble over the French scheme, which in some respects, at any rate—e.g., the proposed abolition of military aviation, goes further in the direction of equality for Germany than the British plan. As so often, the diffi- culty apparently is the discovery of a formula which will go far enough to meet Germany's demands, and not too far to be acceptable to the British and French Govern- ments. The issue lies pretty definitely between those three, and all the signs are that M. Herriot and M. Paul Boncour are as anxious as Sir John Simon to see their German colleague back in his seat. If, as is likely, an agreement is reached, it will be mainly because the British Foreign Secretary has smoothed the path.
Previous page
