Evening star., 1931-12-20
j. S. ARMS POLICY
FORMS FOR GENEVA
Delegation Will Have Only
Moral Influence to Per-
suade Europe.
Continued From First Page.)

Zone, constitute an irreducible mini
mum. According to a War Department
compilation, they represent only .35
per cent lesS than one-half of ! per
cent? of the Nations population. The
comparative figures are l5.4 per cent for
France, 106 per cent for Jugoslavia
l4.38 per cent for Sweden, 1125 per
cent for CzechoSlovakia, 1858 per cent
for Rumania, l4.3 per cent for Italy
and 6.43 per cent for Poland. Even
Switzerland, where the Geneva con-
ference will be held, has 1880 per cent
of her sturdy sons under arms.
s727,700, 600 For Arms.
Econom-c burdens of armaments-The
United States vlsualiZeS the Geneva
conference primarily in terms of the
heavy financial burdens of ornaments
In 1880 seven great poWers-Great
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Soviet
Russia, Japan and the United States
spent approximately tWo-thirds cor
So 958, ,000,00O) of the world total arma-
ments outlay of s4500,000,000 OF
that 81 958,000 900 the American people
ter. The American delegation at
Geneva will say, and will emphasize
that the United States is anxious to
see arlnamentS burdens reduced all
around on some equitable and rational
basis. But it will point out that while
our expenditure on naval and military
force is the heaviest in the world, it
can by no stretch of the imagination
be looked upon as a menace to any
country on the face of the earth 1t
certainly is not the standing menace TO
neighborS or other nations that the
great armies and navieS of Europe rep
resent. automatically constituting acute
political problems in themselves. The
American defensive establishment is
utterly devoid of the political aspect
which European force connotes.
Political aspects-America spokes-
men at Geneva will have cast iron in
structions not to "meddle" in purely
political questions which may crop up
there - questions wholly inseparable
from any sane consideration of arma
ments problems. To the extent that
circumstances permit, the moral in
f1uence. the good Offices and the friend
ly cooperation of our delegation will
be utilized in the direction of compoS-
ing differences. 1t goes without saying
that the United States Government
has views of its own on the burning
issues of Europe-very strong views in
fact. on some of them. 1t is not i'm
possible that President Hoover'S ennis
Saries at Geneva will advise, as occa-
sion offers, that France and Germany
talk sensibly to each other on their
paramount controversies. that Italy
and France speak in the same accents
about their naval and colonial quar-
rels; that the Poles and the Germans
scrap animosities and try to settle
Polish Corridor and East Prussian diff
flculties.
Must Bury Hatehet."
When American delegates talk to
their European co-conferees on these
subject, if they do, they may be cX-
pected very earnestly to reflect the
Washington Governments view that
these questions lie at the root of the
whole armaments problem and of the
crushing financial question incidental
to it. Uncle Sam will say at Geneva,
in effect, that Europe simply has to
bury its numerous hatchets if 1t wants
to get anywhere on armaments. Wash
lntgon is not blind to the colossal diff
flculties this conjures up-knows how
much easier it is to suggest such thing
than to approximate any real results.
Yet American craftsmanship is not
without hope that Europe's grinding
adversely may. before the Geneva con-
ference passes into history. drive her
into agreements that may now seem
Utopian and hopeless.
One authoritative Washington pre-
dlctlon is that the conference. opening
February 2, may still be going on in
June, because of the French parlia-
mentary elections in May. There might
be recess pending the outcome of the
French campaign, but it is not held at
all likely here that the French, with
the key to the ornaments situation
principally in their hands, will commit
themselves to arms reduction until M.
Laval and other French politicians,
anxious for sef-preservation, know
their fate at the polls.
tCopyrisht, 1917