Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-23
FIRMS
FURNISH BOTH
WITH CANNON
BRAND and Lloyd
George Agree on Pre-
cedent, Says Writer.
Skir,nishers in Morocco
Believed to Be Backed
by Manufacturers.
BY WILLIAM BIRD
The Tribune's Foreign Correspondent.
Special Cable to The Tribune.

Inc tftDuno Foreign correspondents
Special Gable to The Tribune.
Copyright, 1921. by The Tribune.
Paris. Oct pa visitor to the
great Creusot arms factory the French
"krupps," said to one Of the directors
who was showing him through the
works today:
You must feel pretty sick about the
recent Greek defeat: 1t, is well known
that they are equipped with your
Schneider guns"
"Oh. that's nothing laughed the
director. 80 are the Turks.
Nothing could be Observation-Disclosures
way things go in the Near Ehst
Observation-Disclosures. Schneider Of Creu-
sot come out on top. They have no
monopoly, however, of this advantage
British arms manufacturers are doing
q tidy business in keeping that untidy
war going. Some people may reInem-
Der that during the August supreme
council meeting in Paris. Messrs Lloyd
George and BRAND agreed that the
Greek turk war was to be deplored,
but that private manufacturers would
be permitted to sell ornaments to both
sides.
Dangerous Precedent"
That was about the only thing they
Gid agree on at the meeting.
1t was pointed out that any other
ruling would set dangerous prece-
dent. 1t was only the application of
this principle of freedom to sell arma
ments that saved the allies in the world
war, or at least such is the general
supposition. 1t is true that some econ
omists hold otherwise-that it was
buying arms from America while their
own factories and workmen were large
ly occupied in making Injuries and non
essentials, that plunged the allied ma
tons over their ears in debt.
However, that may be. the plain fact
remains that the war in the Near East
could not 60 on except. perhaps, on
arms. And another plain fact is that.
thus far. nobody seems to have got
much advantage out of the war except
the manufacturers of said arms. One
is least entitled to suspect that Messrs
Lloyd George and BRAND were think
ing of something else besides a mere
legal precedent when they reached
their decision.
In view of this. what becomes of the
League of Nations and its famous
economic pressure" The allied gov
ernments who have made a great
bother about ostracising Greece for
her temerity in re-electing Constan-
tine to the throne and who at the |
same time control the league, could
presumably, if they needed any legal
justification. find them in the coven- !
ant. So far as the naked undeplomatic
eye can see. everybody including the |
Greeks and the Turks, would be the
great understanding of course
Messrs Schneider and their English |
competitors.
Let Germans Make Munitions
Or another thing that might be done
If suggestions are wanted: Why not
let the Germans make the arms for the
Near Eastern war and sell them to the
bellgerents on condition that the pro-
ceeds be turned over to the allies on
reparations account. In this way the
allied governments-instead of private
would reap, the benefit and at
would be saved. 1t would not be
necessary to prohibit the French and
English firms from shipping arms
Germany's lower prices would quickly
get her the bulk of trade.
Lest this suggestion be considered
pro- German. it should be remarked
that Germany would get no advantage
on the deal except the advantage of
getting her rcparations debt paid off
more promptly. 1t could easily be
stipulated that the munitions should
be delivered without profit to the man
But the suggestion need be taken
seriously by no one. since it certainly
will not be so taken by the allied
premiers. Nor was it offered in good
faith. but merely as an aid to demon
that the war in Asia Minor is
simply munitions makers war, if
there ever was one.
The Moroccan War
Another little fracas that Europe is
passing through at the moment is not
vastly different in nature. Namely, the
war in Morocco between the Spaniards
and their ungrateful wards. the riffs
This war is so dista steful even to the
Spaniards that the government has
been obliged to pick up recruits in
New York. in London and everywhere ,
else where unemployment has driven :
men to accept any job rather than
starve. The quality of the artillery :
10 gathered together in Spain and ]
abroad has led bumorists to call the J
fray" the war between the riffs and 5
raffs."
So far as one can apply the princi- I
Pies of the late lamented world war )
10 the present affair. it appears that +
nination. The raffs, on the other /
hand are fighting for four pesetas a IS
lay. The riffs seem to have justice i
On their side but the raffs have the q
zig guns, and the betting is in their /
'avOr. 4
Spain his never succeeded in getting |
my net revenue out of the riff country e