Evening star., 1932-07-10
BY DR.. JULIUS CURTIUS,

Formerly German Forelsn Minister.
~ ERLIN Almost two years ago I
- had the honor of addressing the
n people Of the United States over
- the air. I assured them that
the noble endeavor to build the
peace Of the world on a solid and
lasting foundation which the United
States has been pursuing for many
years can find nowhere a heartier re-
sponse than in this country.
Germany needs and desires peace
q peace honorable for everybody.
peace secured not by military arma-
ments. but by justice and good will
and reciprocal sincere understanding
Meantime two events have given full
testimony to the truth of these words
In 1881 the President of the United
States launched his bold plan of n
moratorium to check financial calamity
Though it entailed for the German
people only a short respite from oppres-
sive burdens, it constituted the most
decisive factor in the liquidation Of
the reparations question now advanc-
ing to its final solution.
President Hoover took the lead again
recently when he proclaimed through
his Geneva delegation the American
peoples great message of disarma-
ment. a message destined to free the
world from the nightmare Of latent
war and the paralyzing sense Of un-
certainty.
Praises American Stand.
This message found an enthusiastic
response throughout Germany. Chan
cellor Won Papen said: II am deeply
mindful of the far-sighted action IN
itiated by the President of the United
States a year ago Had it been possible
to carry into effect that generous con-
ception in all its original soundness
the world would be much further ahead
today.
And now again the disarmament
message Of the President shows with
what earnestness the great American
Nation Is endeavoring to get at the
root of the worlds troubles. This mo-
mentous proposition Of a statesman
who has the courage to set lead and
to act from sense of his own responsi-
bilitv NAV at last lead the world nut
# the fatefI,l maze of vicious circles
in which 1t finds itself since the war"
The American action suddenly aroused
world opinion and gave fresh impetus
to the Disarmament Conference, lust
when 1t had reached complete dead
JOCK. MITE ftEbDldIICt VT NIlt AItlCt AChll
proposition. however, will not meet the
demand set down in President Wilson'S
peace program and indorsed by all the
belligerent nations. that armaments
will be reduced to the lowest point con-
sistent with domestic safety" a demand
that until now has been carried out
only by the vanquished and yet one
that must remain the ultimate goal oi
all general disarmament
But certain ii is that in reaching
toward this goal an agreement in line
with the American message would be
characterized as that initial decisive
phase of the general reduction of arma-
ments" which the Disarmament Confer
ence set out to achieve.
General abolition of the most danger
Gus weapons Of offense-tanks, heavy
artillery. gas. bombing aircraft. etc
would enormously enhance the capacity
for defense Of every country. 1t would
reawaken feelings of security and gen.
/ eral confidence. quite aside from al
pecuniary savings.
Would End Discrimination.
What is more, the equal application
! to all states Of a general disarmament
convention would end all military
political discrimination, with its conse-
uuent moral de-classing of those coun-
tries which emerged from the war as
losers, a factor responsible more than
anything else for the unrest and tension
in Europe
It would be more salutary If. instead
| Of using different criteria, the same
yardstick were used to measure the
rights of the people on both sides OF
! the Rhine to life. freedom and security
This not only would purge Franco
German relations Of dissension, but
would mitigate to some extent the un-
bearable pressure the provisions of the
Versailles treaty exercise on the inner
! development of Germany.
That is why the American disarma-
ment message has opened hopeful per-
spectives in the chaos of the German
! internal political crisis. There is nc
need to describe Germany's crisis. Far
too much has been made in a sensa-