Evening star., 1933-04-30
CLASH At GENEVA
ION ARMS STRENGTH
France Insists German State
Police Are Potential Mill
tary Unit.
BY the Associated Press.


GENEVA. April 29.-The conflict be-
troublesome problem of disarmament
was intensified today by a difference
over the proper method of computing
armed strength.
The French, supported by Poland and
Czechoslovakia, insisted that the Ger
man state police, estimated at about
100000 men, were in fact potential
military unit, and therefore should be
considered as part of the German Army.
At meeting of the World Disarm-
ament Conference Committee on Effec-
tives, the nations upholding this view
argued that the German state police
could become an important adjunct to
the Reich in the event Of war.
Joker Seen in Amendments.
The German answer to this contention
was seen by spokesmen for the heavily
armed countries of Europe in what they
called a joker inserted in German
amendments to the disarmament plan
which has been presented by the
British
Under this "joker" clause every re-
servist would be given seven days
value" as a real soldier-which would
mean that the 5000, 900 French reserves
would be counted as 100000 electives,
or half of the homeland army which
the British draft allocates to France.
By this Interpretation, it was said
that instead of the 10000 men usually
given as the total strength of the Amer
ican Army. the proper figure would be
100000. This would entail computing
State militia and State conStabularieS
as part of the armed strength.
Want Brown Shirts Included.
France and her supporters indicated
they would do their utmost to support
a system which would include Chan
cellor Hitler's brown shirts as units Of
military value in computing the size of
the army of the Reich.
The Germans, it was learned, plan to
introduce additional amendments to
the British disarmament proposal
when the conference reaches the sub
jects of war material and air forces.
If the conference, as is expected, fails
to abolish military aviation, the Ger
mans will demand the right to possess
military aircraft, now forbidden them
by the treaty of Versailles. They may
also insist on a bigger navy.
In their fight to have the Hitler
storm troops exempt from computation
in the German army. the Berlin dele
BdttS nave SuSStSIcO dIl dulcuUIIlcIlC W
the British plan with these provisions:
That in order to be condsidered mill
tary, organizations must possess mill
tary arms, must be organized in a mill
tary manner with general staff, and
must be available for military purposes
without the necessity of mobilization.
German Position Unchanged.
Under the British plan any organiza-
ton would be military, so far as COM
putting electives is concerned, If it pos
sessed only one of these characteristics
The German amendments to the
British plan were discussed without
progress tonight by Arthur Henderson,
president of the conference; Capt.
Anthony Eden of Great Britain, and
Count Rudolf Nadolny of Germany.
There was no modification of the Ger
man position. Count Nadolny said that
on Monday he might have fresh in
structions from his government.
Some members of the Hitler govern
ment, it was learned, have privately
favored adjournment Of the conference
for month or more until Germany's
internal situation calms down,