Evening star., 1927-10-23
DISARMAMENT PROGRESS
is HELD BACK BY FEARS
All Nations of Europe Want Peace and
Smaller Forces, but Demand
Security for Selves First.

| "It Is absurd to undertake to guar
antee all the frontiers of Europe
now, because some of these frontiert
are impossible and must be remade.
To promise to defend the integrity
Of Poland would be to agree to join
in certain war, for Poland Is bound Ia
be attacked sooner or later by both
Germany and Russia, because for
both the present Polish frontiers are
intolerable. These frontiers must be
amended, not guaranteed"
Must Have Guarantees.
On the other hand, the Poles. the
Czechs, the Rumanians, who feel
themselves exposed, are just as GER
tain not to agree to reduce their very
considerable armies while they have
no guarantee. Nor is France, relying
upon Poland and Czechoslovakia for
protection against Germany in a new
war she always fears, likely to urge
her allies to reduce their armies or
consent to reduce her own.
The German position is different.
The Germans are not only disarmed.
but by the peace treaties condemned
to stay so.
Thus Germany has every reason
and some legal right under the
treaty of Versailles-to demand that
the process Of disarmament which be-
gan with her shall be extended to
others. She has a good case for pro-
test as long as she remains substan.
TALLY disarmed in the midst Of an
armed Europe. But she has no de-
sire to see the League transformed
into a defensive alliance to defend
all nations against attack and thus to
guarantee the integrity of all coun.
ftria f6n ho
Germany. like Hungary and Bull
garia, refuses to accept treaty deci'
sions on territory as permanent. She
wants to have the treaties revised be-
fore the League is made the guaran-
tor of all nations against any attack.
Thus her policy inclines to the British
direction. Germans and Britons alike
argue for disarmament on land, but
are equally opposed to any League
undertaking, like the famous protocol.
which shall pledge all to aid any at
tackled country.
While Britain solidly refuses to
undertake any contract to come to
the aid of an attacked country, Ger
many with ever-growing insistence
argues that there must be disarma.
ment. But the net effect Of the COM
bined British and German policies, If
they prevailed, would be that exposed
nations, like Poland, would disarm
without any general pledge Of aid II
attacked.
No Progress Since 1895.
Not one inch Of progress has been
made beyond this point since 1925.
Obviously all the pious resolutions will
not change situation in which all
nations agree the national judgment
must determine the needs for
national defense.
There. in nutshell, is the present
European situation. The nations
which have large armies feel them.
selves exposed to attack. The nations
which have been disarmed make no
disguise Of the fact that they do not
frontiers created by the peace
treaties. But the nations who
profited by these treaties are pre-
cisely those which are now armed
and feel themselves thus endangered.
What, then. could or can the
League Of Nations do in the premises?
1t has no power Of its own. It is no
more than a meeting place.
Just as long as the British will not
accept the League as a common
alliance Of all to keep peace, by force
II necessary; just as long as France
and many other countries will not re.
duce their own armies until they have
League guarantees of aid in case of
attack; just as long as certain
countries will not accept the existing
frontiers and certain others will not
consent to modify them, the situa-
t1on is hopeless and must remain
fCopyrirht 1927