Evening star., 1932-01-23
LEAGUE GATHERS
ARMS PARLEY DATA
Prepares for Conference Next
Month-Long-F Forgotten
QUESTIONABLE Found.
BY Gable to The Star.

BY Cable to The Star.
GENEVA, January 23.-The massing
of documents for disarmament consid-
Grafton is going on apace in the League
of Nations corridor as the conventng OF
the February International Disarma-
ment Conference draws near.
After six preparatory conferences, ex-
tending over as many years, some ex-
pert statistician has discovered that
permissible armaments" have their
status by reason Of many things.
More and more it is coming to be
recognized that the forthcoming dis
armament conference is really con-
ference for the limitation of arma-
mentS.
Now comes into light out Of the
obscurity Of League pigeonholes where
1t had long been forgotten or ignored,
a queStionnaire of seven parts. The
first interrogation seeks the opinion OF
the nations of the world as to what Is
actually meant by armaments and
what, apart from the dictionary defini-
tions are the connotations to be given
to the various factors and elements
which are included in the word "arma-
ments."
The most important of these factors
is suggested as being that of "propor-
tional representation" Question v,
recognizing that the mathematical
factor is not alone to be considered
puts this precisely, and on the answers
presented at the forthcoming confer
ence and their acceptance will depend
the success or failure Of disarmament! !!
"On what principle shall scale of
permissible ornaments be drawn up,
taking into consideration:
81. Population.
"2. Resources.
"3. Geographical situation.
"a Length and nature OF maritime
communications.
IS. Density and character of railways
IS. Vulnerability Of frontiers and of
important vital centers near thereto.
~. Time required. varying with diff
ferent states, to transform peace equip
ment into war equipment"
The general staff of the military
establishments Of Europe pretty much
know all these things, but no one ap-
parently knows for certain how much
the others know. Once again League
conference will be able to collate world
wide and presumably non-partisan facts
and figures which will be of inestimable
value regardless of the degree of dis
arming which may result.
OF Europe, France has the longest
sea frontier; Switzerland has none.
Railroad density is great in Belgium,
but sparse in Jugoslavia. Resources
(for war; are almost lacking in some
countries, and none has a supply of
everything. Belgium has little iron.
but plenty of coal. No country of
Western Europe has OIL hence mari
time communications, supported by
adequate naval conveys, are or out
standing Importance.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland and
Rumania have already given notice of
certain conditions on which their ac-
ceptance of disarmament convention
would depend. The most embarrassing
question of all is that which asks:
ITO what extent is regional disarm-
ament possible in return for regional
security?"
Here perhaps is the crux of the whole
matter. How it will be solved and when
is something nobody knows. Oceans of
ink tons of paper and myriad flights
Of oratory will be required at the dis
armament conference before delegates
and public will really understand.
(Copyright, 1922