Evening star., 1932-01-05
ARMAMENTS SEEN
LARGELY QUESTION
LIMITED TO EUROPE
Continued From First Page.)


German reparation dispute. His subse-
quent action in Europe as President
Hoover's representative for the prepara-
ton of the Naval Disarmament Con-
ference in 1929 and his important role
in Paris during the discussions Of the
ManChurian question have established
him in the eyes of European statesmen
as the foremost American diplomat.
His main strength lies in the fact that
between the years 1925 and 1881, he
has proved to have an impartial and
friendly attitude toward the British,
the French, the Germans, and the Ital-
ianS alike; he understands and appre-
ciates their local difficulties; he follows
intelligently their national aspirations
and endeaVorS to coordinate their ma
tional interests with international peace
aspirations.
Expects Willingness to Cut.
Gen Dawes is expected to give the
President and Secretary Stimson full
survey of the political situation in
Europe. Being an optimiSt by nature,
the Ambassador at the Court of st.
James believes that the economic de-
preston which is now raging IN Europe
from the British Isles to the Ural
Mountains and from Stockholm to Con-
StantinOple, will have a Salutary effect
on the disarmament question. Dawes is
convinced the financial and economic
depression will induce the most reCalci-
trant nations to agree to cut down sub
stantially their expenses on armies,
navies and air forces in order to put
their budgets in order and at the same
time to induce the American Con-
gress to make adequate reductions Of
the debts owed by European Nations to
this country.
Ambassador Dawes is having today
TIE first meeting with his future COL
leagues at the Geneva Disarmament
Conference. He will hear from the
American experts that this country
cannot agree to purely budgetary
limitation of ornaments. The reason
why our naval and military experts op-
pose this mode of cutting down arma-
ments is based not only on the fact
that wages and materials are higher in
this country than abroad, but also be-
cause they are convinced that there can
be no honest reduction OF armaments on
that basis
This conclusion has been reached by
the American experts after months OF
study and is based on a thorough IN
vestigation of European budgets.
Take, for instance, the case OF France.
The French naval and military eXpendl-
ture is only partially included in that
section of the French budget. Coun-
tries under the French protectorate,
like Morocco and TuniS, contribute
substantial sum toward the upkeep OF
the French army which is located in
Tunisian or MorocCon garrlSons for the
defense of those countries. But France,
in case of need, can always make use
of the troops stationed in North Africa
and which are partially supported by
the citizens of Morocco and TunlS. Ihe
sc, 900 O0O-odd dollars contributed this
year by those countries DO not appear
in the French budget.
Furthermore, in the French oudget
there are certain sums alloCated eSpe-
cially for Frances defense OF her
frontiers, that powerful chain of forti-
fications which is being built from the
maritime Alps to the Belgian frontier.
There is nothing that can prevent the
French government from taking few
millions whenever necessary from that
fund and allocate it either to the army
or the navy. Funds budgeted for
Frances coastal defense can be trans
ferred at any time by an executive
order to either branch of the active
service. In this manner, it is reported,
that while officially only some $80,000,
600 was spent this year on the navy,
the actual cost, as computed by our
experts, exceeds $110,000,0O0.
Also Applies to Italy.
The same thing applies to Italy. At
the beginning of the financial year
Mussolini and his ministers get togeth-
er and out of total budget of some
1000 100000 lire each department gets
a certain amount of money for its in
dividual needs. This distribution of
funds is then presented to the Italian
Parliament and is approved. After this
there is nothing that can prevent Mus !
solini from issuing an executive order
and allocate certain sums from, say, the |
ministry of public instruction or public |
works to any branch of the national |
defense.
Great Britain is in almost the same
position. After the regular budget has |
been voted by Parliament there can al |
ways be some supplementary estimates |
to cover unexpected expenditure" To |
make up the deficit the chancellor of |
the exchequer can then cut down ex- |
penses of other departments.
Germany, whenever She Will be in |
a better financial position, can un- |
doubtedly do the same thing. Bud !
gets, although they do not appear so, |
are very elastic and some unforeseen |
savings can always be devoted to pur-
poses not mentioned in the original |
budget for the current year.
Because 1t Is so easy to juggle with |
figures, the American Government is
opposed to budgetary reductions and
wishes direct limitations, that is to
say, the cutting down of numbers of
men and arms above those needed to
insure internal order.
HOPEFUL OF SUCCESS.