New-York tribune., 1921-11-23
BRAND Spoke
Mainly for u. S.
Ear, , Says Berlin
German Government Calls
Some Assertions Made Be-
fore Conference Misrep-
resentations Of the Facts
Press Comment Is Hostile
Charge Made Premier Hardly
Expected England, Japan
and Italy TO Believe Him

BERLIN, Nov. 22 (By The Asso.
ciated Press ).-~ln statement TO The
Associated Press to-day the German
government officially takes issue with
the charges of Premier BRAND of
France in his address before the
Washington conference yesterday that
the German police forces and the
Reichswehr constituted nucleus for O
future German army.
1t declares NJ. Brands assertion that
the Reichswehr is composed exclu-
sively of officers and non commissioned
officers of the old army is incorrect.
and that, on the contrary, the bulk Of
the Reichswehr is made up OF youths
between the ages of nineteen and
twenty one, recruited since the war.
The statement then says that the
protection police" were created at the
bidding of the Entente. and adds:
"The Reichswehr is wholly unaffil-
lated with the Scl,utzpoli2ei which
took the place of the security police
when the Entente ordered the latter's
dissolution. The Schutzpolizei is pri-
marily an agency to maintain law and
order, and is not subject to the au-
thority of tie Ministry of Defense. It
takes orders solely from the civilian
ministries Of the federated states.
ats numerical strength and its COM
position with reference to the ratio of
officers and men are designated and
supervised by the Entente Control
Commission. The number of rifles and
small arms it is permitted to have is
carefully specified. 1t does not pos
sess heavy calibered arms suitable to
convert into unit of fighting troops.
Denies There Are Arsenals
The Einwohnerwehr, or civilian
guards, referred to by M. BRAND. have
been dissolved and their arms have
been surrendered and Destroyed"
The statement disputes M. Brands
assertion that Germany still possessed
numerous arsenals equipped to turn
out war materials, and asserts that
these plants are now limited to two or
three required to keep the German
army supplied and that their output
is carefully supervised by the Entente
Control Commission.
The governments statement refers
the French Premier to the recent sd-
dress from the throne in which King
George of England declared that salts
factory progress had been made by
Germany in the execution of her finan-
cla} and disarmament obligations.
Newspaper comment generally char
acterizes NJ. BRANDS speech as "Aat
falsehood," but most OF the journals
express fear that America, which is not
SO we'll informed on the European sit
uation, may believe what he had to say.
The opinion generally expressed was
that the French Premiers attitude was
likely to undermine and nullify the
whole effort toward disarmament.
The following excerpts from Berlin
newspapers are generally characteris-
tic OF the comment:
"Taegliche Rundschau": yesterday
the whole disarmament question was
consecrated. Militarism is dead: long
live militarism!"
''To American Ears
"Kreuz- zeitung": "The principal
thing is that France does not consider
disarmament, and SO disarmament by
land is settled so far as the Washing
ton conference Is concerned.
"Allgeueine Zeitung": "Americans
France. Under the cloak of keeping
peace on the Continent she seeks
military, political and economic con
troll which she hopes to extend even
over Russia"
'Lokal- l-Anzeiger"; "M. Brands ar
guments We're new and striking-t
American ears"
"rageszeitung": an. BRAND reckons
on the almost unbelievable credulity
Of Americans. That the English, Jap
anese and Italian delegates believed
him he himself would scarce dare to
presume" The newspaper says that
while talking disarmament France is
really strengthening her army, adding
new formations of tanks and airplanes
and reinforcing her troops OF occupa-
ton"
psoL Gh.,xoIr ,Enu AH