Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-13
BY CYRIL ARTHUR PLAYER.
speclal pIspatch % The star.

German point OF p1eD.
BY CYRIL ARTHUR PLAYER.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
BERLIN, August Is (N.A.N.A).-The
definite German proposals for effective
limitation OF ornaments are based on
the suggestions made by Count Bern
storR to the Preparatory Disarmament
Commission.
The plan starts with the assumption
that an international convention should
embrace all the factors composing
ornaments. It recognizes. however
that ornaments existing in time of
peace and what Is known as war po-
tential" are two different things, and
that reduction and limitation can apply
only to the former.
Not only is there needed a clear def
milton of these terms, but it Is neces-
sary also to Distinguish between forces
held in readiness in time of peace for
immediate employment in war. and
forces which can only be created by a
state during hostilitieS All the arma-
ments existing in time Of peace and
available on the outbreak of hostilities
should be considered. it is thought, In
the class Of Limitation and reduction.
This would include men with the col
ors and trained reserves and material
The electives, in which long-service
men and the number of officers avilable
play large part, can include also men
available who can be called up without
special mobilization order; also they
can be divided into home and oversee
troops. It is considered that only those
troops which a state undertakes to en-
ploy solely for the defense and policing
of its overseas territories should be re-
garded as overseas troops.
Seven Ways Listed.
The Preparatory Commission listed
seven ways in which electives might be
limited:
Abolition of compulsory military
service. Reduction of the following:
The annual contingent, material. pc
Rod of service with the colors. number
of regulars, registration Of electives.
total duration of military service
Most students Of the problem agree
going method is abolition of compulsory
military service, as distinct from a
militia system with a very short period
OF service. It Is obvious that an army
based on compulsory service is capable,
through its reserves, of being raised in
a brief period to many times its peace
establishment strength, and, through its
numerical superiority in trained men. is
a formidable war machine.
The reduction of personnel only Is
not regarded as suficient. Therefore,
1t is urged that the other suggestions
Of the commission, or most of them,
also be explored. The German view
Is that special importance attaches to
the reduction in material, not only be-
cause such q reduction is an excellent
method of reducing the military value
Of the electives, but also. and more
particularly, because 1t Is the most
effective means Of reaching the re-
serves.
r. Comparison Of Armies.
It is suggested that the proposed
convention include a table covering the
other points regarding perscnnel-an-
nual contingent, period of service with
the colors, regular personnel Tin par
ttcular ofiicers) and total duration Of
service. The figures allowed in the
case of each country would be entered
on this table at the conference.
Admitting that, even after a dis
armament convention comes into effect,
armies recruited by system of COM
pulsory military service and possessing
trained reserves will continue to exist
side by side with armies consisting of
professional troops, 1t is necessary to
find how it will be possible to compare
these different types of army
If, solely with reference to numbers,
all the men actually in service, includ-
ing personnel available without q mo-
biIization order, and trained reserves in
armies recruited under a system of
compulsory military service, with the
electives Of professional armies, are
brought into comparison. no doubt a
correct idea can be reached Of the
forces which can be utilized irnmedi-
ately in the various countries on the
outbreak OF war
This simple juxtaposition Of figures,
however. would not bring out the diff
ferent military values Of the electives,
as it must be admitted that the trained
reserves, particularly the older men,
are of less military value than men
serving with the colors. If account is
to be taken Of these differences a
method must be found which will en-
able electives that by their nature are
not comparable with each other in
military value to be represented by
units which are so comparable The
German plan, with Characteristic thor
oughness, works out, experimentally,
suSh system.
Would Simplify Task.
1t is argued that if the commission
or the conference succeeded in devils
ing a practical method Of comparison
Of this kind, it would largely simplify
the conferences task of fixing the pro-
portion Of ornaments required to es-
tablish a just balance as among the
different countries, for 1t would remove
the difficulty arising from the diversity
of military systems which have grown
up in the various countries as q result
Of their historical development and the
requirements of national defense
If agreement could be reached on
the proportion of ornaments for the
individual countries. the fixing of the
figure for the component elements
would be represented by a given CO.
efficient determined by means of a
scale graduated according to the mill
knrrr rraIinn ~ Nha rtn,.ir.t..