Hoover not Outhoovered

Supported by Italy, Germany and Russia but outmaneuvered by Britain and France, lean, nervous U. S. Ambassador Hugh Simons Gibson abandoned last week his efforts to secure acceptance by the Geneva Conference of President Hoover's resounding One-Third-Armament-Reduction proposal (TIME, July 4).

Sir John Simon, Britain's Foreign Secretary and highest priced lawyer, without too much difficulty argued Mr. Gibson into believing that the Conference, which has already sat for some six months at a cost of more than $6,000,000 to the 60 nations originally represented, should adjourn until 1933.

Helpfully Sir John proposed a resolution of adjournment "welcoming heartily the initiative taken by the President of the United States" and couched chiefly in the future tense. Excerpts: "Chemical, bacteriological and incendiary warfare shall be prohibited. . . . Air attacks against civilian population shall be absolutely prohibited . . ." at some future time and in some manner totally unspecified. In campaigning for re-election President Hoover and Republican orators ought to be able to make such a resolution sound much as though something had been accomplished on the President's initiative.

Gibson's Choice. . . . When Britain's "Uncle Arthur" Henderson, President of the Conference, tried to give Ambassador Gibson the floor to urge adjournment there was immediate protest. Before Mr. Gibson could reach the rostrum Dutch Delegate Dr. V. H. Rutgers, rose shouting: "Which other delegates will participate in immediate discussion?"

While Ambassador Gibson modestly turned around and started back to his seat, "Uncle Arthur" boomed:

"I propose to hear Mr. Gibson now! If Dr. Rutgers will tell me exactly how long he wants to speak I may make a bargain with him."

Thus encouraged, Ambassador Gibson started down the aisle again, reached the rostrum just as German Delegate Dr. Rudolf Nadolny rose to ask, "Does this mean that the delegates shall not be allowed to speak on the resolution as a whole?"

''You can all speak later," cried President Henderson, but by this time Mr. Gibson had left the rostrum and was perched on the edge of a chair. When the U. S. Ambassador was about to make his third start, he saw that Soviet Delegate Maxim Maximovitch Litvinov had arisen. "For several weeks, even months," observed the Russian, "several delegations have been talking continuously, while others have not spoken at all ! Unless they have lost the habit of speaking, delegates should be allowed to speak as they wish."

"My answer to that," snapped President Henderson, "is that for six months we have had sufficient talk! Are you making a point of order or a speech?" "My whole idea," plaintively interrupted Ambassador Gibson, "was a shorter debate. I now put off my statement."

Such putting off was the very last thing the British and French wanted. With some coaxing Ambassador Gibson was at last gotten firmly up on the rostrum and all opposition was squelched. "My government would have preferred a resolution accepting still more definitely the details of the President's plan," said Mr. Gibson, "but the American Delegation feels the present resolution contains the maxi mum of agreement which can now be achieved. . . ."

During Mr. Gibson's speech Comrade Litvinov, his moon face red with anger, tore into smaller & smaller bits a printed copy of the resolution.

Litvinov v. Gibson. Next day the Russian Foreign Minister, speaking in English, attacked what other delegations were calling the British-U. S.-French resolution of adjournment. "It is meaningless and without figures," snorted the Russian.

"It is a step backward. . . . The preamble asserts that the time is ripe for disarmament but all the subsequent contents of the resolution represent an utter negation of that assertion." Suiting action to his words the Soviet Delegate moved to amend the resolution by inserting into it the chief, concrete features of the Hoover Plan. Three votes were taken and on all three the U. S. Ambassador voted against insertion of the Hoover Plan. At this juncture a huge "silver" (aluminum) seaplane, roaring up from Rome, appeared over Geneva. The Delegates, as they voted down the Russian proposals, could see out of the windows of the Conference Palace the great silver bird as it settled down on Lac Leman.

"Utter Failure!" Stepping out of the seaplane Italy's round-eyed, bearded young Air Minister, General Italo Balbo, made straight for the Conference. A soldier, a fighter, he came to speak for Benito Mussolini who had just ousted his suave, diplomatic Foreign Minister Dino Grandi and occupied the Italian Foreign Office himself. Striding into the Conference bearded General Balbo lisped:*

"This Conference is an utter failure! . . . The resolution now before us is a vain effort, entirely inadequate when compared to the wishes and hopes of the World. . . . No marked progress is made toward Disarmament. . . . The Fascist Government can take no part in the vote on the resolution to adjourn."

"Noble Idea." Emboldened by the stand of Russia and Italy, cautious Dr. Rudolph Nadolny took the floor, demanded equality of armament for Germany with other Great Powers under the Hoover Plan. He threatened that if Germany is not given this equality of armament at a reduced level (provided for in the Treaty of Versailles) she will boycott the Disarmament Conference when it meets again in 1933.

This threat distressed Sir John Simon. "There is such a thing as being more royalist than the king," soothed Britain's great lawyer. "But it would be a sad pity for any of the rest of us to be more 'Hoover' than the Americans."

To tide the Conference over this ugly crisis, Premier Edouard Herriot made one of those speeches which Frenchmen make so well. Keynote: "President Hoover's declaration was founded upon a noble idea." Bon mot: "In all languages the verb 'to disarm' seems to be an irregular verb."

"Isn't He Pretty?" The day might have ended quietly for the Conference had not loud shouts in Italian and French been heard from an adjoining room in which the 43-year-old Inter-Parliamentary Union (which has no official status whatever) was holding its 25th Congress.

General Balbo, bursting into the room, found his compatriot Italian Deputy Carlo Costamagna reviling and reviled by French Deputy Pierre Renaudel. It appeared that Fascist Costamagna had been fulsomely lauding the Fascist regime when stocky Socialist Renaudel burst out, "Yours is a country without a free parliament, and there is no justice where liberty does not exist!"

"Apologize! Apologize!" roared the Italians.

"Apologize?" cried M. Renaudel. "Never to representatives of the Government which ordered the murder of Matteotti!"*

"Bravo! Bravo Renaudel!" cried several Frenchmen while some Italians taunted "Isn't he pretty?" and others cried, "Down with France!"

The threat of a duel was injected by General Balbo who lisped fiercely: "I consider this a personal insult which Signor Costamagna is at liberty to reply to in his own manner."

The Italians then moved off in a body down the hall, summoned by Il Duce who had already heard of the rumpus and had at once called up General Balbo from Rome. General Balbo immediately demanded either a formal apology from Socialist Renaudel, who again refused to apologize, or the ousting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union from the premises. It was thereupon ousted by Secretary General of the League of Nations Sir Eric Drummond.

Dead Silence. Most embittered delegate at the Conference last week was China's Dr. W. W. Yen. He proposed an amendment which would have bound the Conference countries to abstain from the warlike bombing of civil populations, adding that he had Manchuria in mind. When Sir John Simon made two points-- 1) that China and Japan are not legally at war; 2) that it would be senseless to prohibit bombing in peace time--Dr. Yen withdrew his resolution in bitter disgust.

A penitent last week was Dr. Eduard Benes, "Smartest Little Statesman in Europe," perpetual Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia. Dr. Benes had said, "Bombardment from the air is barbarous and inhuman." Sir John Simon pointed out that British planes often find it necessary to bomb rebellious tribesmen. Dr. Benes promptly ate humble pie, exclaiming, "Of course British flyers have never been guilty of barbarous actions!"

The final vote of the 51 nations still represented last week, adjourning the Conference to "Jan. 21, 1933 at the latest" passed with the U. S., Great Britain, France, Japan and a total of 37 other nations voting "For Adjournment." Herr Nadolny voted "Against." Comrade Litvinov voted "For Disarmament: Against Adjournment!" Afghanistan, Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, China, Hungary, Italy and Turkey abstained from voting.

Amid no applause from the gallery, the Conference delegates filed out in dead silence.

*Though he lisps, the tone and personality of General Balbo are pugnacious, virile, truculent. *Blackest stain on the reputation of Blackshirt Benito Mussolini is the widespread notion that he personally ordered the assassination of the multi-millionaire Socialist Deputy Giacomo Matteotti, who was unquestionably done to Death by Fascists (TIME, June 23, 1924).

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