Evening star., 1924-12-16
GERMANY PLOTTING
TARD|EU DECLARES
Says Disarmament Has Not
Been Prosecuted-Fears
Exodus of Marx.
BY ANDRE TARDIEU.

| By Radio to The Star.
! PARIS, December 16 - Germany
takes front rank in the world
news this week, first on account OF
her elections. which. owing to the
number and complexity OF parties.
! troversy, and. second, on accent of
| the Information which leaked out
| concerning the report of the Inter
| allied Military Control Commission.
| This information, at first vague, has
| become definite
Both questions are linked because
both the votes Of the German people
and acts Of the government lead to
the eternal question, What is Ger
many seeking?
Want Neither Extreme.
The elections show the Germans
at the moment want neither Racists
nor Communists; that Is, neither ex-
treme nationalists nor extreme revo-
lutionists. But except that, there is
nothing very definite.
The Social Democrats rejoice over
their increased numbers. but the Ma
clonalists lost nothing, and, contrary
to all predictions, actually gained q
few seats.
The only positive consequence Of
the election thus far is the decision
The Marx cabinet is practically the
only one Germany has had in five
years that has followed a coherent
policy, and has been the only one
with which foreign nations could
have satisfactory dealings. There
fore its disappearance from the scene
cannot be regarded as a favorable
augury.
French Views Painful.
Thus, it is rather painful for the
writer, q Frenchman, to see his coun-
trymen take a naive attitude, some
rejoicing because certain German
parties gained and others mourning
because certain others lost. Many
say: THE Socialist gains indicate
Germany is pacific" Do not forget
that in 1914 German Socialists voted
as one man for an aggressive war
and that only after the French vic
tory at the Marne did few OF them
begin to talk peace. And the French
liberal press, in commenting on the
results of the election, counts the
Catholic Center party as belonging to
the Democratic group. only forgetting
that If such a party existed in France
it would be stigmatized by them as
the worst of the reacuonary forces.
Thus it is evident the classifications,
definitions and predictions which MI
the Paris newspapers have little po-
Iitical value and that, instead or
studying party platforms, it is better
TO look at the facts.
Arms Manufacture Goes On.
In this connection the conclusions
of the InteraiIied Control Commission
are of greatest interest They show
IN the matter of disarmament that
Germany has executed neither the
clauses Of the treaty of Versailles
nor the more recent decisions Of al
lied governments requesting her to
conform to these clauses. She has
failed to dismantle her fortTesses.
while the manufacture of arms and
munitions continues at rate mani
festly beyond Germany's require
ments under the treaty.
One hundred thousand soldiers. sup
posedly police" are placed, along
with the reichswehr, under command
of Gen. Won Seeckt. The general has
| a formidable staff, the size of which
can be explained only by the exist
ence of a mobilization plan and an
organized reserve obviously contrary
10 the treaty. But does all this sur
prise. US Frenchmen? Certainly not,
for we have known il a long time,
but It is comforting to know the
official report TO be published next
month will register facts which have
been unofnc1ally esta bIiShed Tor
long time.
Peace Forces I'm Minority.
There are forces for peace in Ger
many, but, unhappily, they are in q
small minority. The psychology OF
the country as whole has not
changed, and when Germanys chiefs
consider the time is ripe for revenge
there will be no serious resistance
from the people.
So the problem of those countries
which would suffer from German re-
venge is TO prevent Germany's chiefs
ever thinking the hour for such re-
veng has struck.
Alas. many errors have been com
mitted along this line since the end
of the war, and the blame lies largely
on the allies and their associates, but
there is no use mourning the past
! II is not too late to repair the damage
II our statesmen act wisely.
oh