Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-16
French Seek Peace
Despite Obstacles
BY GERvILLE REACHE.
| Foremost Journalist Of France.


Despite the Establishments which
Germany heaped upon her after the
evacuation Of the Rhineland, despite
Italian provocations and the Fascist
desire for Mediterranean domination,
France perseveres In her policy Of
pacifism and European union. This
the rostrum Of the Chamber Of Deputies
last week.
France desires to maintain her place
at the head Of the nations seeking q
means to eliminate war between civilized
peoples.
No Nation Immediately Threatened.
No nation at present is threatened
by q war waged by its immediate neigh
bors. In this connection the United
States enjoys the most complete security.
Great Britain Is practically immune to
all invaders. Virtually only on the
European continent turks the veritable
danger Of war, due principally to the
Soviet and Italian dictatorships and
threats Of dictatorship u Germany
and In Central Europe.
It IS remarkable fact that the least
threatened nations are also those which
possess the most powerful ornaments.
The United States and Great Britain
occupy the flrst rank of the naval
powers. Moreover, the United Kingdom
has permanent land army Of $40, 900
men. equaling that of France. No
anxiety Is caused thereby because the
universe Is persuaded that these nations
honor their signatures afixed to the
Kellogg anti-war pact.
But what Is to be said for q nation
Ike Italy. which, with its Fascist militia,
keeps up an army Of $4,000 men and
over and above that claims naval parity
with any other power on the European
continent? What is the explanation
OF these overcostly ornaments conn
pared with financial capacity? Are
they destined to serve the Ambitious
designs so frequently Haunted by
Premier Mussolini?
Germans Demonstrate Power.
Germany, whose forces were fixed by
the Versailles treaty, must not exceed
l0O. 1000 trained armed men in addi-
ton to 1900 police. Yet the HitIerites
demonstrated recently that they can
mobilize 10000 to Ia, 1000 steel helmets
within ~ hours on the Rhine, In addi-
ton to the famous shock battalions,
which number about 100000.
Before such danger it Ia under.
standable that France has seen flt for
her own protection to proceed actively
with program Of defense for her FROM
tiers and completion Of her fortifi-
cations.
Such Is the atmosphere in which
the Preparatory Disarmament Com
mission has been working at Geneva
with the hope of devising methods OF
limitation Of naval and land arma-
ments that viii be acceptable to all
nations
All measures envisaged hitherto have
only resulted In increasing ornaments.
Invoking the principle Of naval parity
raised BY the United States, italy Is
reported to be undertaking new con-
struction. Involving the principle Of
military parity, Germany Is asking q
still greater increase in her forces, so
much 80 that the man in the street
In France Is beginning to consider this
conference as O nameless
comedy destined to throw hypocritical
veil over Q verttable resumption Of the
race In ornaments throughout the
world.
BIackmail StiII Seen.
On the morrow Of the signature Of
the Kellogg pact, millions Of men are
still demonstrating that they rely on
force for the modification Of interna-
tional treaties to their own ADVANTAGE,
while certain countries are resorting
to ver1table blackmail to obtain ad-
ditional ornaments.
French opinion hnlds that respect for
contracts and commitments alone can
contribute u disarmament and hat be-
cause war has been solemnly oCltlRwed
the first step must be q declaration
that in no event win there be recourse
10 force for the modification Of COZ
tracts. Otherwise, what use Is theM
to conclude q new disarmament pact
II Il win be 40 more respected than