Evening star., 1926-05-19
BASIS Of ARMS CUT
TO Be TOTAL POWER
France Gets Concessions in
Considering Factors War
Strength Depends On.
By the Associated Preas

BY the Associated Press.
GENEVA, May 19-Only peace
time armament can be limited by any
conference of nations. This provi-
sional agreement was reached at to-
days session of the preparatory dis
armament commission, which decided
that it was impracticable at the pres
ent moment to think of reducing the
ultimate war strength of countries
In ratifying this conclusion, how
ever, the commission agreed to a
significant reservation by NJ. Paul
Boncour of France. This was to the
effect that when the subcommittee
frames the exact formula it must
recognize that estimated reductions in
peace-time armament should take into
account the military, economic and
geographical factors upon which the
wartime power depends and also the
rapidity with which assistance could
be afforded to state If attacked.
Great Complications Admitted.
Thus the admission is made at the
very outset of the Geneva deliber-
ations that reduction of armament is
an exceedingly complicated problem
numbers of troops and guns. Not
only economic and population factors
must be taken into consideration, but
also, in the opinion of France and
some other nations, concrete reduc-
tions must depend to a considerable
degree on the extent of the effective
aid which can be rushed to an at
tackled state through operation OF
scheme of mutual assistance.
The commission decided to appoint
a drafting committee, which. after
further general discussion, will recast
and clarity the agenda and endeavor
to separate technical military Ques-
tons from purely political problems.
The committee includes NJ. Paul-Bon-
cour of France, Hugh Gibson of the
United States, Lord Cecil of Great
Britain, Gen. Mar1nis OF Italy, M.
Matsuda of Japan, Count Won Bern
Storff of Germany, Senor Perez of
Argentina, NJ. de Brouckere of Bel
gium and M. Sokal of Poland.
Three Powers Show Fear.
The United States, Great Britain
and Germany appear to be favorable
to concentrating discussion upon
limitable tangible armament. On the
other hand, France, Belgium and
Italy seem to fear to disarm, believ-
ing that they might be conquered at
some time by actually weaker but
| potentially stronger nations.
The Italian spokesman has made
| known Premier Mussolini's idea on
the question Of disarmament, saying:
| ''If you do not take account of every
kind of potential military strength in
a country, then you show a desire to
r<l<a1y l. L
| a strong one"
NJ. Paul Boncour, for France, re-
called that nations could not reduce
armaments unless certain inestimat-
| ing reductions that the total forces
an enemy could bring against them,
In man power or otherwise, could be
| taken into consideration.
V1Scount Cecil warned his colleagues
| that the commission would be peril
ously near the rocksNif 1t insisted on
going too far away from tangible
limitable things.
Germany Sticks to Locarno.
1t is the opinion of Count Won
Bernstorff of Germany that real
progress toward disarmament NAV be
achieved only by limiting the number
of questions to be examined by the
commission. He insisted that Ger.
many's military strength was insult
| fcent to guarantee her security.
Answering the argument of M. Paul
Boncour, Count Won Bernstorff said
security and arbitration had been OBJ
tained at Locarno. With regard to the
Russo-German treaty of neutrality he
said Germany's foreign policy was
completely dominated by the spirit of
Locarno. He eXhorted other nations
| to follow Germany'S footSteDS and dis
arm.
| The evident sincere determination of
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