The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-09-25
Attempt to Limit Land Armament
Means Deadlock and Maybe Worse
Because France Wants Guarantee

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lacking in most OF the machinery
which the German used with such
effectiveness I'm the earlier phases
OF the conflict. II was because the
French parlia ment had refused to
furnish the necessary funds Even
more than This, the chamber of
deputies which had been elected
Just before the war had been chosen
for the purpose of reducing the
term OF French military service
from three years to two and thus
cutting off nearly third OF the
French military strength.
A Mess OF Complication.
The whole subject OF Franco
German relations Is complicated by
a thousand and one circumstaNces
not clearly perceived In the United
states. II Is patent to anyone that
France never would have attacked
Germany. II Is clear that In 1914
she was intensely eager TO avoid
war. Yet she was attacked at the
precise moment she was planning To-
reduce her army and attacked
through Belgium, that IT, on
frontier which she had left with
she rolled upon the neutrality OF
Belgium.
when you undertake TO tell
Frenchmen that it can nevcr hap
pen again, you have. only TO expect
that they will show their ruins. re-
count to you their recent and their
past history and politely, or impo-
politely, as It happens, brush aside
your optimistic prophesles. Thsre is
only one form OF argument that Is
worth wasting time on, and that IL
the argument OF guarantees and
neither we nor the British are pre-
pared to supply those guarantees.
It's Different on the sea.
As far as naval aGmamcnts are
concerned the situation is quite dif-
ferent. We do not fear a British
attack and the British have not the
smal Hest idea Of attacking us or any
latent suspicion that we mean to at
tack them. Tho Japanese navy is
strong enough for defense and the
Japanese dc not Intend 70 attack Us.
Japan asks only TO lie let alone In
the far east, she Is not contcmplat-
Ing raid on the Pacific coast or n
dash to the Philippines. Such "A
gamble would certainly bring the
is a domestic rather than an Inter-
national habit OF the Japanese.
The French and the Italians have
practically no navies in the modern
sense and neither feel "a need for
fleets which would lead them, par
ticularly in their present financial,
condition, to undertake the con-
struction OF battloships Germany
has no navy whatever. Russia IL in
the same situation and tho smaller
countries, many of which have very
real armies. are without anything
which resembles a fighting squad
ron. Thus an agreement as To sea
strength q mutual agreement TO
limit naval construction is not only
possible but desirable from the point
OF view of the nations Immediately
concerened.
And these are only the United
States, Britain and Japan. Neither
France nor Italy cares n fig about
this phase OF the Washington con-
ference and being, In fact. disarmcd,
can point to this as a reason for
preserving their armies, so long as
the three seapowers keep their
fleets.
Only Two Solutions.
After all there are only two So
IutiOnS TO the question OF NorIu
peace. Thc one depends upon the
restoration and preservation OF
mutual confidence between all ma
tlons. the other, upon the existence
Of some international body. some
AupCrstatc with the adequate
power to preserve peace through
the medium OF Its police forces.
Now, as the one condition, not
only does IL not exist hut there Is
no present likelihood thai IL can
he brought about. The German
purpose TO reconqucr what was
lost, Alsacc- Lorraine on the West
and Prussia on the east, the Rus
sian menace 10 Poland and To Ru-
mania. the Hungarian dctcrmina-
tion 10 RS tore It's ancient prov
inCcs. these and score more OF
similar differences, including those
between the JugO-SlaV and the
Italian on the AdriHtic nii serve iO
breed suspicion, impose prcpara-
tlon. to threaten eventual war.
As TO second method, tint of
the supcrstatc, provided with an
army, with full power to act, able
by It's Overwhelming strength, on
tho physical side, 20 impose Its de-
CisiOns and commanding sufficient
moral prestige Ia insure that 10
will have the physical strength,
which i'm the last analysis must he
supplied by the respective nations,