New-York tribune., 1922-12-16
Object TO Immediate Army
Reduction Because They
Doubt Moscowk SINGER
iiy in Peace Proposals
Sword RauIing Charged
Believe S0viei's Pacifist
Pose Bellies Aggressive
Acts Against Neighbors
BY Joseph Shaplen
sesclai cabis 10 TIE Tribans


BERLIN. Dec. ib.--The disarmament
conference called BY Soviet Russia
foundered on the rock Of Russo-Polish
discord. The conference was launched
By the Soviet government for the
avowed purpose Of winning for eastern
Europe the peace and security whish
Genoa failed 10 achieve for the west
The failure OF the project has
aroused little surprise here. While X
was followed with great interest as
serving once more 10 emphasize the
conflict Of economic and political In
terests throughout Europe, the confer
enee was looked upon a. simple po-
| lltioal maneuver Of the Soviet govern
ment on one hand and an ehort %
eounteract this maneuver BY the other
participants on the other hand.
As IN all such previous European con-
ferenees, the participants had no trouble
In reaching a "non-agg'esslon pact
which "in srinciple" expressed their
unanimous desire 20 reduce military es-
tabllshments. The fatal hitch came
when an actual disarmament program
was taken up. The Russians demanded
that the conference proceed immediate
| " 20 set the military quotas OF the re-
spectiyo countries. Poland promptly
objected on the ground this was I'M
possible until the eonferees had oe-
! tefmlned n general technical basis for
the proposed disarmament and the
methods 10 be employed from the point
Of view Of the particular needs and po-
sitions Of the respective participants
Want Problems Worked Out
The Poles proposed the appointment
Of a special committee TO work out
these problems before attempting TO set
| the quotas. This position was sup
ported BIZ Esthonia, Finland, Latvia and
| iithuania. The Russians charged this
attitude was intended merely 70 mis-
lead the masses" and break up the con
ference. when Poland and the other
eonferees maintained their position
Maxim Litvinoh, chief OF the Soviet am
bauadOriAl system, declared the con-
ference at an end.
The conference was concluded By dec
larations on behalf Of Poland, Es-
thonia. Latvia and Lithuania charging
that Russia sought control over the
armies and budgets Of the other con-
/ ferring states 70 which they, under no
circumstances, could agree. Thereupon
Poland and the Baltic States and Fin
/ land read declarations solemnly dis
AvowinK any intentions Of attacking
their neighbors. and the conference ad-
journed.
Soviet Russia to-day 10 posing be-
/ fore the world as the only friend Of
/ peace and disarmament, whose efforts
on behalf OF world comfy have been
eheekmated BY the "imperialist policies
Of the capitalist governments" IL
probably IA true that Russia was sin
eere in attempting to secure some form
/ Of disarmament understanding. al
though the Soviet governments peace
ful Intentions have been challenged In
many quarters which In no way are
connected with European lmperiallst
ventures. Lenine's real aim In promot-
| ing such an agreement and thereby
performing that which the Genoa con
! ference failed 20 produce was 10 raise
the political prestige Of his government
In Europe and thus hasten is recogni-
tion by the Entente, II Is generally be-
lleved.
Pariey Failure Predicted
Nevertheless, while disagreement on
the mode Of disarmament procedure
may have been the immediate cause Of
the breakup Of the conference, les
failure was predetermined before II
rer assembled by reasons far more
fundamental. First came the question,
Does the Soviet government really
want permanent peace and disarmR-
mentp Second. How far were the
other eonferring states, particularly
Poland, free 70 conclude honest dis
armament disagreements And, third,
"Did not Rumania's absence from the
conference doom the entire enter
prise7"
An affirmative answer to TIE first
question was not promoted by some Of
Trotzky's recent speeches, strongly
reminiscent a. they are Of the ex-
Kaiser's bombastic declarations, nor by
the entire Interpretation Of the pres
ent European situation as seen by the
Soviet leaders.
On the very day Of the opening Of
the Moscow conferences Trotzky, ad-
dressing the Third Internationale, sum-
married. the Soviet governments view
point as follows: The bourgeois"
world must pass through three phases
before the final outbreak Of the world
revolution. The present phase, which
Trotzky called the Fascist period, will
soon be surmounted. II will be followed
BY the "pacihst humanitarian" phase,
which also will fail 70 satisfy Europe's
needs, and will lead 20 civil war In
the leading European countries, ending
in the triumph OF communism.
The pacihst-humanitarian period
was derided by TrotIky as something
quite utopian and undesirable from
/ the viewpoint Of the interests Of COM
munism, which Trotzky once prophe-
sied would some day send its armies
TO the Rhine. Il so happens the road
20 the Rhine leads through Poland,
which has not yet forgotten the ad-
vance Of the Red armies 10 Warsaw,
carrying with them members Of tho
new Polish Soviet government APP
/ pointed In Moscow. Poland's attack on
Russia In 1920 stands condemned
throughout Europe as an imperialistic
venture, but Moseow's efforts TO carry
/ Bolshevism 20 Europe on the bayonets
Of the Red army likewise has failed
20 inspire confidence in Moacow's pa
cific intentions. The open alliance be-
tween Red militarists headed BY Trotz-
/ Ky and the Russian nationallsts eager
% crush Poland is too patent 70 In
spiro the Poles with a belief In the
genuineness Of the Bolsheyist disarma-
ment program.
Russia's present disarmament cam.
] ~