Evening star., 1926-05-20
BAN ON GAS, TANKS
AND PLANES IN WAR.
GERMANY.
Won Bernstorff Also Proposes
Forbidding of Heavy Artll-
Iey at Conference.
By the Associated Press.

GENEVA, Switzerland, May W.
Concrete proposals to forbid the use
of airplanes and poison gas IN war
fare and suppress heavy artlilery
and tanks were put forward by Ger
many today at the session OF the
preparatory disarmament commission.
The proposals were presented by
Count Won Bernstorff, former Ambas-
sador to the United States.
Answering illusions to Germany
industrial strength which would nave
to be taken into account when Ger
many's neighbors were asked to dlS-
arm, Count Won Bernstorff declared:
II don't want to evoke memories OF
the past, but history has demon
strated the impossibility of transform
ing our industrial equipment into I'M
elements of war, primarily because
our factories are so near the frontier
that they can be destroyed at the
very outset Of a war"
Complains of Attitude.
Count Won Bernstorff complained
that a number of delegates to the
conference seemed to approach the
problem with a view to discovering
why nations should not disarm rather
than to finding reasons why they
should. He declared that the crea-
ton of the League OF Nations has
changed the whole aspect OF the
world because 1t made war virtually
impossible, since a conflict only couid
occur between the league and an ag-
gressOr state.
He further complained that Ger
many has been forbidden by the treaty
of Versailles to organize a defense
against attack by airplane. we can
understand the desire OF some coun-
tries to have security because Ger
many hasn't security" he added.
Cites Food Question.
Alluding to the shortage of food in
Germany during the World war
Count Won Bernstorff insisted that IN
taking stock of the potential war
strength of various countries the COM
mission also must consider their poc
tential Weaknesses. The difficulty OIL
a nation which does not possess col
onies in feeding It's population ana
in securing raw material must De
taken into consideration, he said.
He appealed for at least some form
of reduction of ornaments, in order
that the world might not be intensely
disappointed, and the prestige of the
League of Nations be lowered.
The specter of an immense Russia,
which might put into the field huge
army, was conjured up by Gen.
Dumitresco of Rumania as reason
why a country like Rumania is obliged
to consider the strength of its neigh
bors in deciding what reduction it can
make in its own army.
Says Security Is Paramount.
He supported the French view that
disarmament depends almost entirely
on security. He felt that armaments
must be sufficient to prevent invasion
until assistance could come from with
out, assistance that perhaps might
operate through the League of Ma
tions. This help should be military
as we'll as economic and financial, he
said.
Finland took a similar stand, her
spokesman frankly declaring that
since Russia had refused to partici-
pate in the present conference, there
was no way to determine her real in
tentions. The Finnish representative
recommended that the league cove
nant be made more effective as to the
penalties imposed upon aggressor ma
tions. Naval. military and air support
should be sent Immediately to any
invaded country.
Poland lined up with Rumania and
Finland, NJ. Sokal declaring that when
Polands security was more stable than
at present, Poland would be willing to
disarm. perhaps even to the extent of
the United States. with one soldier to
every thousand of population. He
urged that the most practical solu-
tion of the whole problem of disarma =
ment was to give the council of the
League of Nations greater power to
impose penalties upon aggressor ma
tions quickly and efficiently.
Hugh Gibson, the American repre-