Evening star., 1932-09-08
France May Refuse Financial
Cooperation Following
Arms Claim.
POLITICAL ISOLATION
MAY FORM WEAPON
Paris Will Send Reply to Military
Equality Note After Sounding
Out Great Britain.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PARIS, September 8-The interna-
tional controversy over the German
claim to equal ornaments today bids
fair not merely to interrupt the pro-
cedure of the disarmament conference,
but also to block the path to accom-
plishment at the proposed world eco
nomic conference.
The reason Is that no solution now
in sight or in view in the present known
positions on both sides appears pos
sible within the near future. If, there
fore, Germany carries out its threat
to boycott the disarmament conference
and do whatever it likes in the matter
of armaments, new period of tension
in Europe seems likely.
The question is being asked in dip
lomatic circles, what France will do II
Germany thus takes upon itself to dis
regard the treaty of Versailles. There
Is absolutely no question here of any
renewed occupation of German terri
tory. No military action Of any sort
Is even contemplated.
Seeks Moral Isolation.
II Germany wants to rearm, France
seems to have no intention Of trying to
prevent this by force. What France
does intend to do, however, seems to be,
first, to endeavor by diplomatic means
to bring about the moral and political
isolation of Germany. and, second, to
refuse any sort of financial aid or eco
nomic cooperation to Germany.
And it is here that the fate Of the
Economic Conference appears to be at
stake For every one knows that Eu-
rope can only be reconstructed econom-
ically by FTanco-German cooperation.
Franco German discord can only mean,
it is said, prolongation of economic
anarchy.
The French government met late yes
terday to consider Premier Edouard
Herriot's first draft for reply to the
German note. This draft is being
communicated privately today to Great
Britain. When Great Britain's opinion
is known, the French cabinet will meet
again, either tomorrow or Saturday, to
put the finishing touches on the text
and transmit the reply Immediately to
Berlin, after which 1t will publish the
document.
opposes Secret Farley.
The main principles of the French
reply, as now envisaged, are believed to
be as follows:
France is unwilling TO enter into any
separate secret conversations on arma-
ments with Germany. This question,
France considers, affects first Of all the
to the treaty Of Versailles, and, second,
all the members of the Disarmament
Conference.
1t is. therefore, to the Versailles sig
natories and to, Geneva that Germany
should address. its claim, not simply to
France.
In the French view. Germany's claim
Is unfounded. The treaty of Versailles
aims at reduction of ornaments gen.
orally. not rearmament of Germany.
THIS reduction is conditioned on the
needs of national defensee and on the
organization of mutual aid, and Ger
many is nowhere in the text authorized
to judge for itself what reduction the
others shall make.
Can Be Exempted BY Council.
In any case, Article 164 specifically
provides that Germany can be exempted
from the ornaments clauses by decision
of the Council Of the League of Nations.
From the French viewpoint, no COM
promise seems possible at present unless
Germany and the others are willing to
join France In organizing permanent
peace on the basis of mutual aid in case
Of aggression.
Some Nationalist newspapers in
France are inciting Herriot to utilize
Article 213 of the treaty of Versailles
and demand that the League Of Nations
investigate whether Germany has loyalty
kept its solemn treaty pledge in the
matter of disarmament, but the gov
eminent viii probably reject this sug-
gestion, which, it feels, would only make
the situation worse.
Copyright. 1922