Evening star., 1924-05-04
SAFEGUARD Chief
CONCERN.OF FRANCE
Failure of Dawes Report to Pro-
vide Against German Ag-
gression Discussed.
IN ANDRE TARDIEU.

by Radio to The Star
PARIS, May 3.-The conference of
ambassadors has just held a series of
frultiesS meetings concerning Ger
man disarmament. Three weeks ago
Germany sent a stiff negative to ur-
gent representations made to her in
this matter
1t wasn't the first refusal and it
probably will not be the last, but it
has been decided to let the matter
rest until after the German elections
tomorrow.
The question thus remains open,
and although little is said about it
publicly, it is unqueStionably one of
the three dominant questions of the
day.
This matter is not alone important
in itself, but it serves as useful in
deX to Germany's state of mind. The
reparations question is complex and
the public gets lost in technical de-
tails. Some say Germany wont pay
Others say Germany can't pay" But
disarmament is plain and clear to
everybody. Germany can easily full
fill this obligation of the treaty of
Versailles, and there is no excuse for
maintaining more troops than the
treaty allows. or for manufacturing
munitions which the treaty forblds.
If these clauses are violated there
are no extenuating circumstances ana
the German government Stands con-
vfcted of wilful bgeach Of falth.
Germany's disobedience of these
clauses has been manifest since the
fall of 1922. She first refused TO llInis
her effectives, and by a thousand
subterfuges not only brought her
army to a strength forbidden by the
treaty, but established complete
plan for general mobilization. She
next recommended manufacturing
war material which was stopped be-
tween 1920 and 1928. She accom-
plished this by refusing to submit
to interallied military control during
the past eighteen months.
Germany attempts to excuse this by
juridicial argument. saying that
under the treaty this control was TO
cease when Germany had complled
with the military clauses Of the
treaty, after which the allies only
recourse is TO appeal to the league
of nations. And that is the treaty in
general terms. but what Germany
forgets is that the treaty also pro,
vides that control commissions shall
remain until Germany's military law
conforms with the treaty stipulations,
and that is precisely what Germany
has steadily refused to do.
Doesn't this situation throw
strong light on Germany's real inten-
tionS?
When Mr.. Lloyd George. at the
peace conference, urged abolition of
German conscriptfon he said: With
a conscript army even limited to 2O0,-
900 men serving one year, WHdt Woulu
happen? Simply that Germany will
have trained 100000 men in ten
years Why make Germany present
of this system, which in fifteen or
twenty years. would give her mil
lions of trained soldiers? Germany
has already a skeleton organizatio
left over from the war, and you may
be sure that if she trains 100000 men
per year, she will have at 100000 un-
derofficers in ten years.
This argument persuaded the allies
to abolish conScription and limit Ger
many's total effectives to 100000. The
same reasoning prevailed in the mat
ter of material and supervision of
factories, and it is these articles that
Germany has been resisting for
nearly five years. She is yet to exc
cute these clauses. There is no need
for experts nor gold banks nor renten-
marks Nothing is required but will
ingness. Germany simply won't, and
that fact should impress all peoples
who suffered from German aggression
ten years ago.
After the elections. as today. the
whole question is whether the allied
powers will tenaciously oppose their
will to Germany's in this vital mat
ter. The future peace of the world
depends on how this question is
fCnnyriphf 1894