The Washington herald., 1921-11-17
FRENCH RESENT
BLAND REFERENCE
TO CUT In ARMIES
Lauzanne Sees Difficulty
In Menace of Russia
And Germany.
By STEPHAN LAtzANNE,

There were many flowers in Mr..
Balfour's speech on Tuesday and
little stone. The flowers were ala
for the shoulders of Secretary
Hughes, and the little stone was
/ for the garden of Premier BRAND.
1t was wrapped up in the following
sentence:
"A question has not been touched
which every man coming from Eu-
rope must feel to be a question Of
immense and almost paramount in
terest. ] mean the heavy burden in
land armaments. That is left on
one side TO be dealt with by other
schemes and in other wayF"
A sweet note of reproach was
noticeable in Mr.. BalfoUrs voice
when he threw the stone. He seemed
to say:
Are we going to be alone TO
mount On the stage? Will these
nations having large armies remain
in the orchard stalls?"
BRAND Accepts the Issue.
Naturally Premier BRAND picked
up the stone at once. Not only did
he declare that he was ready to
climb on the stage. but he wanted
to climb on il as soon as possible.
and have big show and get a large
audience.
The performance will take place
at the end of the present week. or
the begipalng of neA week. 1t will
be a grand performance. May |
say that il will be a useful per-
formance?
The astounding thing for a man
coming from Europe-e1cept per-
haps for the suave Mr.. Balfour-is
that two so different things as the
Limitation of naval armaments and
the Limitation OF land armaments
may be confused and put together
in the same basket.
Only Three Nations IavoIyed.
Why is the Limitation of naval
armaments a possible thing? Be
c~use there are only three great
naval powers and these three great
powers are now assembled in the
Memorial Hall in Washington
Moreover these three great pow
ers, are at least. nominally on
friendly terms. Above all they are
honorable nations. II they agree
/ together the whole question OF ma
]
settled and there is not the slight
est doubt that each OF them will
observe the agreement and stick to
| its word.
But where in Washington are
the great military powers? Is
4 Germany there? Is Russia there.
and If they are not there how car
an agreement be reached?
Cites Potential Armies.
But there is something more Sc
rious. Even If they were both ther,
and IL they signed an agreement
what value would it have? Is tn,
| Germany of Wirth a Germany ir
which one may have confidence? Il
the Russia of Lenin an honorabl,
nation in the word of which one
may rely? OF course, Germany ha,
on paper an army of only 100000
men, but how long would il TAX,
to transform that army OF 100000
into an army of 1000. .00O7
OF course Russia is tired of fight
irg. So We were told in 1919, wher
Russia abandoned the cause of tn.
allies. But by curious chance
Russia. who was tired of hghtins
the Germans in 1918, was not too
tired to fight Poland In 1920. and
Poland was very nearly overrun.
In any case no control is needed
for the execution of a treaty lin.
itinc the naval strength of the three
naval powers or of any naval pow.
er. The control is easy. 1t is mad,
by the public. One cannot hide 4
dreadnaught, or a cruiser, or ever
a submarine. They must be built
armed, equipped, nsvigated.
But far more difficult is the con.
troll of land ornaments, becaus,
those armaments escape the laws OF
publicity. Hundreds of cannon mas
be made in a country without even
the people themselves having any
knowledge of IL. Poisonous gas may
be manufactured without anyone
having heard of IL. Machine gun,
may be hidden by thousands with.
out anyone being able to detect
them. L