The New York herald., 1922-12-04
RUSSIA TO REDUCE
FORCES TO 100000
LityinOff Tells Disarma-
ment Conference at Mos
cow of Plans.
SMALL ARMY IN 1924
Says Minimum Figure Will
Be Reached Sometime
After Next Two Years.
DELEGATES CONCILIATORY
Former Enemies Meet in Peace
Conference and Display
Friendly Spirit.
BY FRANCIS M,cULLAGH.


Special Cable to THE NEW York HnnALp.
COPYRIGHT, 1889, by THE New York HnRALp.
Moscow. Dec. "a disarmament
conference with the aim Of bringing
permanent peace to central and west
ern Europe opened here Saturday.
The conference Is attended by repre-
sentatives of the border States once
belonging to Russia, and therefore all
the delegates understood Maxim Lit
vinoff, Assistant Commissar of For
eign Affairs, and chairman Of the con-
ference. when he spoke in Russian,
though the others spoke in French.
German also is allowed. but no In
terpreters are needed.
The general intention of the confer
ence is to reduce armies. The Poles
and Lithuanians sat side by side
peacefully. The Lithuanian delegate
did not raise the Wilma question. Lit
vinoff opened the proceedings by ex-
planning in a polite. gentle voice, the
peaceful policy of the Soviets and
welcoming the delegates. He said 1t
was proposed inv two years to reduce
the Russian army to fourth of it's
present strength, and finally to 100000
men.
Reduction in standing armies alone
was not sufficient to solve the problem
of mutual limitation IN armaments and
therefore 1t was proposed to curtaii mill
tary budgets by arbitrarily fixing a
maximum figure OF military expenditure
per soldier. He also suggested stimuli
taneous liquidation of the irregular mill
tary bodies of the civilian population
The Importance of mutual naturalization
OF border zones was also urged by Lit
vlnoff
All the speakers were conciliatory, as
serting that they had no aggressive
aims. The Esthonian representative
said: "Political disarmament is as nee
essary as military disarmament" The
delegate from Finland said "A peace
treaty already has been concluded and
the present conference will aid In
strengthening it," Both delegates ex-
pressed their desire for naval disarma-
ment for the safety of their coasts.
The Polish delegate agreed fully with
the aims of the conference and said his
country was for "Rarprochement with
the great Russian nation and people"
He promised to present project form
ing a basis for discussion. and added
II am authorized by Rumania to make
certain declaration ultimately to be
confirmed by the Rumanian Government,
that the nations long fatigued by the
burden of war want security and tran
quillity."
The delegates met In the commodtous,
we'll heated building used by the Ger
man Embassy in 1918. The room where
Gen. Count Won Mirback. German Am
be ssador to Russia, was murdered, was
used for to-day's plenary sittimgs. Some
of the marks left by the bomb are still
visible near the inner door whereby
Count Won Mirbach tried TO escape.
Among the delegates are two Polish
and one Lettish officer whose epaulets
and cruciform decorations are the first
seen here since 1918. The other military
delegates were in civilian dress, black
morning coats predominating.
Another feature reminding one OF the
old times was Maxim Litvinoffs fire.
quent use of the words Mister and Mes
s.eurs words banned by the Bolsheviki
five years ago. The conference was ex-
cellently organized and the plenary
meeting finished in an hour and a half,
the utmost courtesy and good temper
pTGNdlilllbs ptNtuSc THO uclc-
gates were permitted to smoke and
availed themselves of the privilege.
Moscow, Dec. 8 (Associated Press) -
Russia's proposal TO begin the confer
ence with n discussion OF definite tech
nical limitation of armament created diff
ferences in the committee, composed of
the chairmen OF six delegations. A joint
counter proposal made by five of the
delegations insisted on a moral basis of
discussion prior to consideration OF de-
tails of an actual reduction in armies,
and a prolonged sitting of the commit
tee resulted in a deadlock.
Maxim Litvinoff said the Soviet Gov
ernment had failed In its attempt to
bring UP disarmament at the Genoa con-
ference and was compelled by discolr-
agement TO narrow down the problem by
bringing up the question of disarmament
merely before its Western nelghbors,
feeling certain solution of this matter
will result In closer ties with Russia s
neighbors and have an effect in all Eu-
rope"