The New York herald., 1922-05-22
No Reduction of Europe's Armies

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Against the statement that no ma
tion in Europe wants to fight there
comes the announcement of the re-
suit of canvass undertaken by the
League OF Nations. 1t Is to the effect
that to-day there are 100000 more
men under arms in Europe than just
previous to the war.
The plain inference, in fact the only
inference. to be drawn from this con-
dition is that Europe is in no dispo-
sition either to disarm or to reduce
her effective military forces. The
conference Of Genoa brought about
pledge from the governments to abb
stain from subversive propaganda
and aggression against one another
for the period of eight months. But
neither this conference nor any other
European conference has made the
question of disarmament its impor-
tant consideration. The Washington
meeting was the only one in which
the reduction of armament was the
paramount subject of discussion.
What has brought this matter
strongly to the front at present is
the German compact with the Mos
COW Government and the evidence Of
increased military activity of the Boil
shevist Government. This activity,
the Paris Bureau of THE New YORK
HERALD says, is revealed by the fact
that TRoTzKY, the Bolshevist Minister
of War, has, in the first place, brought
up the munitions reserve to a point
which seems inexplicable in view OF
the Soviet profession of pacif1cism,"
and, in the next place, that he has
been devoting his attention to the
formation of a new militia organiza-
tion of 100000 men.
Russia Is also receiving regularly
from Germany airplanes as well as
pilots, who have hitherto been lacking
in the Soviet army. At the same time
she has reorganized her forces with
new officer personnel and has built
up factories which will furnish her
war munitions. 1t would be absurd
to suppose this Is being done through
fear Of invasion from Bulgaria, Ru-
mania or Asia Minor by WRANGEL or
any other All-Russian leader, a
fear which TcHITcHERIN expressed at
Genoa.
Bulgaria has no army, especially
no army to be enlisted in such
venture, the Rumanian Government
is too cool headed at present to make
war upon a foe so far superior in
numbers and the Turkish National
lists have troubles enough without in
viting war with Moscow. The very
size of the armies which these small
nations could send against the Mos
cow millions makes TcHIrcHERINs
suspicious ludicrous.
The real motive back Of TRoTZKy's
military program is not apparent.
But it offers an explanation why Eu-
rope does not reduce her armies.
Jugo-Slavia insisted in the first place
that the unsettled condition of her
Adriatic coast line prevented the dis.
bandment of her forces and she later
found another excuse in the reported
aggressions on her Albanian from
tier. Czecho-Slovakia has maintained
her army ON the ground of unrest on
her Hungarian frontier, and Greece
because of her war in Asia Minor.
But undoubtedly pride of place
among the nations of the world has
had a not unimportant part in the
course of these smaller countries.
The greater allied nations of Europe
ere perhaps justified in seeing In the
growth of powerful army in Rus
sia menace to European peace, es-
pecially when it presents the possi-
bility of combination with a Power
potentially as strong as Germany.
However sincere Europe may be In
her declarations of peaceful inten-
tions, there is little likelihood that
she will feel secure enough to under
take a reduction of armaments as
long as she Is under the shadow of
a great and growing Bolshevist mill
tary power