"No Menace"

Produced by Benito Mussolini, accepted in principle by Ramsay MacDonald, the new Four-Power Peace Plan was presented before publication to the French Government (TIME, March 27). In Paris for three weeks it has been discussed in wordy secret conferences and lengthy telegrams. To the French and British Governments was left the privilege of publishing a translation of the text. This was released last week and the world knew in detail what Mussolini & MacDonald have proposed:

1) Four-power collaboration for peace between Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany.

2) Acceptance of the principle of revision of treaties.

3) In the event of the failure of full disarmament, a pledge to grant gradual arms equality for Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria.

4) A common line of action in world affairs by the four powers.

5) The accord to remain in effect for ten years, then to be automatically renewed unless denounced.

6) The accord to be registered with the League of Nations.

In other words, to preserve the peace of Europe, France was expected to give up voluntarily the position of dominant mistress of Europe which she has maintained with mounting armaments and an elaborate system of interlocking alliances ever since the War. Nowhere was any guarantee offered for the sacred French Security.

Because the rest of the world regarded the Mussolini Plan as a serious suggestion for world peace the Daladier Government dared say no word against it last week. In the Chamber of Deputies Premier

Daladier contented himself with saying:

"I desire to render homage to Mr. MacDonald for his loyalty as well as to Signor Mussolini. . . . I promise that the Chamber will not separate without a full debate on foreign policy. . . . France fears no menace on any frontier."

But if Edouard Daladier limited himself to a lukewarm acceptance of the four-power pact, there were many ventriloquist dummies available to say what he and most Frenchmen really felt. Loudest was the French Press, howling down the Mussolini Plan as an international plot to render France defenseless and rob her of hard-earned gains.

Next Foreign Minister Nicholas Titulescu of Rumania suddenly appeared at the Quai d'Orsay to voice the opposition of France's allies, the Little Entente, to the plan. Said he:

"It is unthinkable that France should adhere to the four-power pact as long as it involves treaty revision. . . . The consequences would amount to precipitating legitimization of resort to force by Germany."

In Belgrade, Foreign Minister Bogoljub Jevtitch of Jugoslavia declared:

"The Little Entente is firmly resolved to maintain by all possible means all the territory it has won."

A final statement emerged from the mouth of former Premier Edouard Herriot:

"War is certain to result if France enters into a four-power attempt to revise European frontiers. . . . The idea of consultations between the four powers is good but it would be the worst of follies to substitute such an accord for the League of Nations."

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