Evening star., 1930-11-30

tant factor in bringing about the 1imi-
tation agreement. The nations Of Eu-
rope simply cannot afford to keep on
spending more and more money on their
defense budgets It will mean bank
ruptcy for them If they do so continue.
But another and contributing factor Is
the London naval agreement OF this
year.
"That treaty is bound to have a strong
psychological effect. For, now that the
leading naval powers have agreed among
themselves to restrict the size OF their
navies, the land powers will have no
excuse for not limiting the size Of their
armies. I do not anticipate that the
London naval agreement Will be nulll-
fed by the workings OF the safeguard
ing clause for am confident that both
France and Italy eventually also Will
sign the entire treaty"
At this point the correspondent re-
marked that certain elements In Ger
many are declaring that If the allies OF
the World War did not redeem their
promise" to disarm, the Reich would
be entitled to arm up to the level OF Its
former enemies.
Explains German Rights.
'That Is not so," DR.. Benes replied.
ARTICLE 8 Of the League Covenant obli-
gates the member states to d1sarm to
the lowest point compatible with their
national safety. But each sovereign
state Is left to decide what constitutes
this lowest point. Jurid1cally speaking,
Germany, in the event Of q breakdown
of the disarmament negotiations, would
have no legal right to raise its own
military establishment beyond the size
set by the treaty of Versailles. But a
political conflict could, Of course, be
provoked because of it. Nevertheless,
the Covenant of the League imposes
upon the former allies a moral obliga-
ton to reduce their own armamentS,
and in carrying out the present disarm-
ament pourparlers, through the League,
we are seeking to fulflu this moral
obligation"
Dr.. Benes expressed the view that any
ultimate limitation agreement would
probably not affect trained reserves.
Nations like the United States, with its
amicable neighbors, Canada and Mexico,
might, he said, safely forego universal
military training, whereas In the case
Of countries like Czechoslovakia, Jugo-
slavia, Poland, Belgium and Rumania
some system Of conscription was un-
avoidable.
The attention of DR.. Benes was then
called to the alarniSt utteranceS re-
Gently of Representative Fred H. Brit
ten, Republican, of Illinois, chairman
Of the House Naval Committee at WASH
ington, and to similar utterances by
other prominent Americans who re-
turned home from the continent last
Summer predicting that Europe was on
the eve of another war.
Early War Doubted.
'I do not believe in the imminence
of great conflict in Europe" DR.. Benes
replied. I'm the first place, another
great war would plunge Europe into boil
shevism. Secondly, the nations Of Eu-
rope In large majority sincerely desire
peace. The masses of the people, espe-
cially the workers and the peasants,
abhor the very notion Of war. They
know that not only would they be gun
fodder, but that those of them who sur
vived would be impoverished and would
have to accept much lower standard
Of living.
"An even greater majority of the Ma
tionalistS, In Germany or In other coun-
tries, would think twice, If matters came
to crisis, before going to war, realizing
as they would that war must touch their
pocketbooks very vitality"
DR.. Benes deplored the renewed agi-
tation for treaty revision" Recalling
| that the frontiers established after the