The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-23
By. DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1921.

#". ". tNOpSFlSnL- H5zl.
WASHINGTON, Nov. % Premier
BRAND has hoped that the Washington
conference would adopt resolution
more or less approving the attitude of
France on land armament His speech
of Monday was designed as prelimi
nary step toward that end. Arthur
James Balfour of Great Britain and Sec
rotary Hughes of the United States del
egation endeavored to meet his wishes
in their responses to his speech and the
discussion yesterday in French circles was
whether Premier BRAND would be salts
fed with those expressions or whether
he would ask for something more con
crete. The chances of his getting blan-
ket approval of the French idea of land
armament were regarded as slim, though
some statement sympathiZing with the
necessities OF France : position would
not be as difficult TO get.
Premier BRAND leaves today.
Wants Expression by Conference
Premier BRAND has courted some ex
preston from the conference on French
policy. He has done it by intiniating
how unfortunate it would be for France
| if the Washington conference by mdi-
rection were to point a finger of disap
prevail toward the size of France 5 land
armament. The very inclusion of the
topic ''land armament on the program
of the conference has been more or less
| diStasteful To France and NJ. BRAND has
given the other delegations this broad
point as to his desires:
| - If by detection gwen to. the labors
of the conference it were possible some
where over there in Europe-if it were
| possible to say that the outcome of this
| conference is indirect blame for the OPP
probTium cast upon France-if it were
possible to point TO France as the only
| country in the world that is stiI impe-
| rialistIc, as the only country that OPP
poses final disarmament, then, indeed,
| this conference would have dealt lis a Sc
we're blOW-and | am quite sure that
nothing is further from your minds and
| from your intentions. If, after listening
to my argument. after weighing the rea
| sons which YOU have Just heard. you
Iconsider them as valid. then. you will
still be with us and YOU will agree with
! me IN saying that France cannot pos
sibly do anything but what she has &C
Itually done. -
Great Britain's Response
10 this sentiment Great Britain re-
7ponded through Arthur James Balfour
who repeats what Prime Minister LLOYD
| George has said again and again since
! the aTmistice, namely that if France
were attacked again England would
!
wish to make sure that the French shall
| do nothing to provoke an attack. For
| that reason Mr.. Baifour carefully
| chose his words as he wished France
| "every success in that path of unag-
Eressve prosperity which / hope and be
| heve they are now entering -
! The emphasis on the word '<unaggres
| sive' was unmistakable and British
| spokesman today called attention to it.
! As for Secretary Hughes, he carefully
| refrained from saying what Mr.. Balfour
| did. namely. that millions of men would
| be poured forth again for France but he
permitted America : position TO be
stated bv implication when he remarked
that "there Is no moral isolation for
the defenders of liberty and justice -.
Pleased With Balfour's Reply
| The French are deeply pleased with
| MIR. BalfoUr ; utterance but would have
liked more from MIR. Hughes. Incident
las against Germany Is quite different
from the appeal for physical help
against another attack by Germany as
the defensive treaty by France, Great
Britain and the United States would
have provided. Realizing that the
administration has changed and that
there is absolutely no chance for a guar
antee of American military help, the
French would be content now with q
Ipledge of moral support.
| Premier BRAND Will make the most OF
Mr. Hughes speech on his return to
| France, particularly of that sentence in
which the American secretary of state
said, ''There can be no hope of a will
to peace until institutions of liberty and
justice are secure among all peace-lov
ing peoples.
Premier BRAND has contended that the
| spirit of the militaristic class in Ger
many is not vet subdued and that
| France must maintain her army as an
insurance against German instability.
The French premier will avail himself
of Mr.. Hughes statement as justihca-
ton for French policy in Europe To
| that extent he probably can use the
| Hughes and Balfour speeches much bet
| ter in parliamentary debate abroad
rather than a narrow restricted or in
lnocuously phrased resolution by the ar
mament conference, though it is under
stood he has not yet abandoned hope
that even after he leaves some general
principle approving of France s need for
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