Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-11-21
OfficialOpinion
Here Believed
Unchanged.
OPPOSITION TO
LARGE ARMY
May Pass Up Issue
for Settlement by
Nations League.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Premier BRAND primarily address,
ed the people of France today and
also continental Europe as he de-
Tended the military policy of France,
which. three years after the armi-
stice. maintains the largest standing
army in the world.
Those who have followed the in
tricacies of French politics and know
the maneuvers of the opposition ele-
ments in the French parliament.
which are seeking to overthrow the
BRAND ministry for not being even
more vigorous in handling Germany.
especially understand the true sig
nificance of the French premier's
speech.
No Military Designs.
Secretary Hughes, with character
istic deftness, referred to land arma-
meht in a seemingly general way, but
managed to emphasize nevertheless
without making invidious compari-
sons the fact that the United States,
which at the time of the armistice
bad an army of 100000 men under
arms, now has reduced the regular
Army to 100000 men.
AS if realizing that Mr.. Hughes had
challenged Frances reasons for a
large military establishment and that
the whole world has been pointing an
inquiring finger at France for some
time because Of the size Of her army,
Premier BRAND took occasion to deny
that the design of France was mill
taristic. He made the arguments
which have been heard from French
public officials and writers for the
last three years. namely. that Ger
many had not given evidence OF good
faith and could not yet be trusted to
pay her bill to France. -
Invasion Feared.
The whole speech was a defense
Of the French idea that 1t any mo-
ment an unprovoked aggression
might develop on the German border.
than usual in drawing a distinction
between the working classes Of Ger
many, which, he thought, were sin
cerely desirous of peace and should
be encouraged, and the big business
dorff. which, he thought, were still
unconquered in spirit and were think
ing about next war
To all the suggestions that Ger
many was being disarmed, the French
premier cited only the record of Ger
man haggling, first over terms and
later over the indemnity settlements,
as justification for French precaution
Again and again Premier BRAND in
sisted that it was the existence of a
large French standing army alone
which made Germany obey today. Sc
curity against a future invasion, as
well as the possession of means of
coercing Germany to pay reparations,
were NJ. Brands big points, and he
talked around and around them.
France Looks Out for Self.
Originally it was the French position
that If the United States and Great
Britain would ratify defensive treaty
whereby both powers would come to the
aid Of France in the event of "unpro-
voked attack" by Germany, but since
America failed to ratify, the French
have insisted that they must look out
for themselves. The presence Of a
French standing army has caused other
nations in Europe to feel the need for
military forces beyond their financial
ability to maintain these forces. Arthur
James Balfour, head Of the British dele
cation, has taken the view that the tax
Europe economically unstable unless the
French army is reduced. but to all this
the French answer that Great Britain,
like the United States. has an ocean
boundary and not an imaginary line on
(CoDfiuued IN Papa 9 CoI,,y,n ~