New-York tribune., 1922-05-19
Wants
u. S. toCall New
Arms Council
NO Chance 10 Reduce Land
Forces Found to Exist
Except Through Action
initiated q ny America
Europe Still Militaristic
conference at Genoa and Ra.
pallo Treaty Declared to
Have Added 10 Difficulty


Press The nations of Europe are IN
no mood to disarm, or even substan-
TALLY reduce the size of their armies.
and no material progress toward the
reduction of land armaments can be
looked for during the next three or
four years.
Such is the opinion of the disarma
ment experts Of the League of Nations
and the members of the temporary
mixed commission on srmaments. which
IS the instrument through which the
eague has been trying for the last
two wears to make some headway in the
direction of world disarmament.
The commission, created in Septem
ber 1920. by the first assembly Of the
! league, will end its work next June,
when final report VIII be drawn up
! tor the September meeting of the as
sembly. Only twenty replies have been
received TO date to the qucstionnaire
sent out nearly eight months ago by
the league % It's tifty-one members
asking for detailed information on the
present size of armies. the amount of
war material on hand and contem
plated reductions All the big world
powers. with the exception Of Russia
and the United States, to whom tho
questionable was not sent, have in
the opinion OF experts. replied with
reasonable franhness.
No Disposition 10 Dsarm
While The questonnaire merely
asked for statistical information. the
mixed commits ssion and league officials
! have learned from unmi stakable sources
! that there is no disposition on the part
I of the European nations particularly
and the world generally, to disarm
while the present political situation in
Europe continues.
The Genoa conference and the Russo
German treaty, in the estimation Of
the commission members and leagu
officials, have dealt a serious blow to
the disarmament campaign OF the
lecgue. Information reaching the
league indicates that the representa-
tives of the various countries are leav-
ing Genoa with greater uncertainty as
regards the future than when they
started for the economic conference.
/! Consideration of the problem of dis
armament itself is out of the question
for the present. owing TO the Russo
German attitude, the league experts
believe. The only outstanding excep-
ton to what league circles call the
general refusal of the world to disarm
is the Washington conference.
But for the initiative of the United
States government, it is pointed out
the record of disarmament since the
armistice. excepting, of course. former
enemy countries. would be virtually
about general land disarmame mt within
the next five years would be another
Washington conference, called and
strongly supported BY the United
States. This is the conviction of til c
league experts. who say that America s
great influence, morally, commercially
and financially, throughout the world
would compel the nations to reduce
their armies when efforts of the
league. which is made up of and is the
instrument Of these states. would fail
Program Considered Hopeless
Barring action b. the United States
the experts have little hope in the i'm
mediate future for disarmament. The
league intends to continue its efforts
for disarmament quietly, but it is GO
ing ahead with the idea that nothing
definite can be done The officials ex-
plain that they will in any event have
the machinery all ready for the day
when the members decide to disarm.
The league secretariat feels that no
blame can be attached for failure to
brlng about disarmament. emphasizing
the point that the league simply is the
instrument of its members. and rs it's
members do not want to d;sarm, the
league can do no more than continue
its campaign for disarmament and
await change in the political situa
ton.
Although the figures gathered BY the
commission are being withheld until
being reported to the assembly. uncon-
ilrmed estimates recently reached the
league that there are 100000 moro
men under arms in Europe to-day than
just previous to the war. This figure
takes into account the wiping out of
the German army.
The Washington government has
shown considerable interest in the
league disarmament work, according to
enc official. Two requests have been
received recently from official Ameri-
can sources asking for ali available IN
formation in the hands of the league,
and the league has forwarded much
confidential information to the Amtr.-
can government.
Since it began its campaign for dis
armament two years ago the league has
made successive attempts to call a
world conference to consider the con-
troll of private manufacture of and
traffic in arms, but has not been able
to arrange a meeting.
Ex-Police1nan to Prison
John P Soden of s Rethune Street