Evening star., 1932-10-30
French Army Proposals.

French Army proposals.
Paris dispatches appropriately de-
scribe as Revolutionary" the far-reach-
ing proposals launched in the Cham
Der of Deputies Friday night by Premier
Herriot as Frances latest contribution
toward the unraveling of the Geneva
disarmament tangle What the strong
est military power in Europe now pro-
jects is nothing more nor less than the
abolition Of the existing and ancient
system Of regular armies and the SUBJ
stitution for them Of national defensive
militias These militias, Premier Herriot
suggests, should be conscripted for short
term service, be adopted by all European
countries on the same basis and be
subject to obligatory international in
vestigation."
1t goes without saying that the re-
sponsible spokesman of a nation SO
welded to the ideal Of security as
France does not put forward this pro-
gram without providing for quid pro
quos designed to safeguard French ter
ritorial safety 1t Is at that point that
M. Herriot brings in the United States.
The French have always been ready to
consider reduction of armaments In
exchange for adequate security"
Their premier now indicates that this
would be attained in Europe not merely
by the universal militia system. but by
the readiness of the United States to
adhere to strict Interpretation of the
obligations of the Kellogg BRAND pact,
as defined by Secretary Stimson on
August 7. The Secretary of State de-
clared that consultation by the United
States with its co-signatories Is i'm
plicit" in the treaty for outlawry Of war
IN the event of threatened war.
Premier Herriot, as one Of the six
points in which the new French mill
tary program was outlined, specifically
laid down the condition that the
United States should accord the secur-
ity guarantees which 1t has itself en-
visaged" Amplifcation of this re-
quirement is necessary before American
public opinion on it can be cryStalliZed
Varying versions Of its true import are
already rife. The Paris correspondent
of the New York Times, for example,
says that, in addition to taking Secre-
probation Of the pact of Paris. the new
French thesis seems to challenge the
doctrine of the freedom of the seas
the principle of neutral rights at sea
in case of war to which the United
States is not party. Premier Herriot
would have members Of the League of
Nations fulfill all the obligations Of arti-
Gle 16-proNding for sanctions against
a League member who resorts to war
in disregard of the covenant. The
United States is not member Of the
League. If it chose not to join in a
League economic boycott against an ag-
gressor nation and continued to trade
with belligerent in defiance Of League
sanctions. the American doctrine of
freedom of the seas would automatically
/ face the combined opposition Of the
League powers.
Premier Herriot's conception of new
military deal in Europe is outspokenly
and almost primarily aimed at abolition
| Of Germany's so-called extra legal
army, the Reichswehr. The treaty Of
Versailles requires the Reich to limit
its land forces to regular army of
100000 men. But the French insist
with vehemence that the Germans, in
the Reichswehr, or domestic defense
force, and in other military bodies,
possess in fact an army Of trained SOL
diers available for war totaling millions.
If Europe adopts the Herriot scheme,
such German forces, if they were found
really to exist, would be demobilized
and illegalized.
Presumably the French premier would
not include an American contingent in
the collective army" he proposes as
a means to curb aggression. Sentiment
in the United States would hardly sub
scribe to this country's participation in
such an organization, control of which
would not be exclusively in Washing
tons hands NJ. Herriot asserts that
he has moved along these various bold
and original lines because France can
not take the responsibility of letting the
Disa rmament Conference fall His
motives are entitled to fullest credit,
even if it seems highly probable that
his program is of nature that makes
certain interminable discussion and ne
gotiation before it could ever be real
lied.