Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-22
France and Disarmament.


BY no stretch of the imagination can
it be said that the prospects Tor
successful Geneva disarmament confer
ence in 1882 are enhanced by Frances
attitude toward it. In communlca-
ton to the League of Nations, the Paris
government has just disclosed that IL
considers the French military and naval
establishment to be already reduced TO
as low a point as the republics de-
fensive necessities will permit. Secu-
rity-the Alpha and Omega OF its inter-
national policies-runS through Frances
statement with the haunting persistence
of an operate leitmotif.
Doubtless it comes as shock to those
many Americans who view the dlsarma-
ment problem purely through idealistic
and altruistic spectacles to be told,
point-blank, as France now says, that
disarmament is political, rather than
a technical question. Despite the League
of Nations, despite Locarno pacts, de-
spite Kellogg treaties, despite naval
limitation, despite recurring prociama-
tons of peaceful intent by statesmen
Europe is envisioned at Paris as still
seething cauldron of warlike possibilities.
AS long as ways and means remain I'M
found for guaranteeing that the caul-
dron will never boil over, the French
are determined to depend upon their
own strength. They will not prema-
turely place their faith in international
agreements. They prefer Notifications,
battle cruisers and bombing planes.
OF course, there is no secret as to the
methods by which France would acquire
the guarantees" for which alone she
will exchange armament. The memo
randum to the League sets them forth
with almost brutal candor. The French
want an Eastern Locarno," for one
thing, that is, treaty whereby Germany
would renounce for all time any designs
on rectification of her eastern frontier
just as in the Western Locarno the Ger
mans accept the status quo on the
Rhine. Berlin, in other words, must give
up any idea of trying to wipe out the
Danzig corridor which cuts across East
Prussia and divides it.
Then France comes forward with the
proposal that If she is to give up the
security afforded by her own war ma
chine, other powers signatory to dis
armament agreement must pledge them
selves to make common cause against
an aggressor nation. The French would
have the League name the aggressor.
What American public opinion would
say to any such arrangement, should
the United States be asked to enter it.
can easily be guessed, even in France.
Although in this country there will
be no inclination to condemn, out of
hand, an exposure of French policy to-
ward Geneva that almost certainly con-
dennis the 1892 conference to futility, If
Paris persists in its position, the Amer
lean people regret, even if they fully
understand, that the French seem still
to be fighting the World War. Notwith-
standing the painfully sacred memories
of 1901 and 1914-18, here on this
side of the Atlantic men and women
have been longing for new psychology
in France. 1t has not yet taken root.
The hope must continue to be cherished,
illusory as it may seem in light of the
memorandum to the League, that
France will yet discern both wisdom
and safety in making further conces-
sions to the worlds impotence for re-
lief from excessive armament burdens.