Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-20
WONDER WHY HUNS
ARE KEPT ARMED?
French Ask What Statecraft
Permits Delay in Demob-
iliZation.
LIBERALS GIVE REASONS
BYPAUL SCOTT MoWRER.

| BY PAUL SCOT'T mO"nEfSs
| Cablegram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1913.
| PARIS, December 19.-The French
public continues to ask what mystery
underlies the allies persistent refusal
to demand the rehabilitation OF the
German armies. The Turkish, Bull
garian and Austrian armies were
obliged to lay down their arms when
| the armistice in each case was signed.
To Germany different regime has
been applied. Not only was our prin-
| cipal enemy not obliged to demobolize
in the first armistice conditions. but
| the other day when the armistice was
| renewed there was still no mention OF
| rehabilitation.
What deep statecraft is responsible
| for this policy when specifically
seems to be inconsistent with the al
| lies intense hatred of German mill
tarism? The question is bound up
here with the tangled issues sur
| rounding the French rehabilitation.
Nearly every one in France wants to
see the French armies demobilized as
soon as possible. so that relatives can
| return home. The government seems
| reluctant to demobilize.
France Waits on Germany's Action
When interrogated as to this re-
, luctancy the government pointed out
that an armistice was not peace ana
that France could not demobilize be-
fore Germany did SO. This reply led
to a second Interpolation by Deputy
Emile Constant, "Why has Germany
| not been obliged to demobilize?" The
government refused to answer or even
discuss the question and called FOR a
vote of confidence.
Despite the discomfort with the gov
ernment's reticence evident through
out the chamber, the government
obtained 303 votes against 147, but
there were eighty ASSERTIONS, which
sentimenta1ly must also be counted
against the government This was the
biggest opposition in a vote of conf
dence since the Painleve government
fell. and indicated general dissatisfac-
ton with Premier Clemenceau's per-
sistent refusal to enlighten the people
regarding the policies in which he is
involving them.
Liberals Suggest Reasons.
The question as to why Germany is
still allowed to maintain her armies,
therefore. is still officially unanswered
erals are as follows:
l. IT Germany were to demobilize
public pressure in France would be so
strong for French rehabilitation that
it would be hard to resist it.
2. Even though they continue to
bear arms the German armies are no
longer dangerous from a military
standpoint.
3. The German troops, by helping
to keep order in Germany, can pre-
vent the spread of bolshevism.
4. Before the war Germany was an
industrial nation with more than H.
100000 employed in industry, as
against 100000 in agriculture. Ger
man industries. having ceased to man
ufacture war material. lacking Ger
tain raw stuffs, and having no for
eign markets, are practically at
standstill. A sudden rehabilitation
would leave millions of factory work
ers unemployed and result in dis
orders of every kind.
AS for the reasons why the allied
governments are still hesitating to
demobilize. they probably feel that it
would be imprudent until peace is
actually signed. Moreover, the Ques-
ton of Intervention in Russia is still
undecided, and the allies may yet
require large armies to fight the boil
Sheviki.