OPTIMISTIC HERBIE

Speaking in New York Monday night, President Hoover delivered these words in the course of his address: "When we compare the attitude of nations toward each other twenty years ago with that of today, we can say that there has developed both the spirit and the method of cooperation in the prevention of war which gives profound hope for the future." It has long been a mystery where President Hoover derived his never-failing optimism. But the above dictum presents a riddle surpassing anything heretofore. If there were much evidence that international feeling had undergone any considerable change in the last twenty years, some hope might reasonably be entertained. But that evidence seems to be the unique possession of the President.

Since the signing of the Armistice, in 1918, about twenty wars of varying size have been fought all over the world. There were the Imperialist and Polish wars against the Soviet Union, the Grace-Turkish fracas, the Poles versus Galicia, the Afghan invasion of India, and the war between Roumauta and Hungary. Until 1926 the Spanish and French were attempting to crush the Riffs. In 1923 the Italians bombarded Corfu. In 1929 the Chinese and Russians saw action in Manchuria. For the last few years Japan has been grappling with China in the same region; while in South America there has been continual friction. At the present moment Bolivia and Paraguay are in opposite trenches, Peru and Colombia began offensive operations, yesterday. All these minor wars, plus the Big Blow of 1914-1918, are well within the twenty years of progress mentioned by President Hoover.

Concomitant with these disturbances has been a period of tragically futile talk by the League of Nations, and a fantastically mounting burden of armaments for all nations. With painful irony new battleships slip off the ways while statesmen meet to discuss and disagree on navy reductions. What hope for peace while a revengeful Germany, a belligerent Italy, a suspicious France, an aggressive Japan, and a hated Russia prepare for conflict? The world outlook is certainly dark Yet, gloomy as it is, we cannot evade it by such ostrich-like attitudes as President Hoover's. There is no better prelude to war than a false sense of security. If there is any "profound hope for the future," it will never be realized until we can face the international situation more realistically than this.