Evening star., 1933-03-17
ACCEPTABLE ARMS
FORMULA SOUGHT
Roosevelt Wants Substitute
Plan That Will Please
All Nations.
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by Mr.. Davis at Geneva, that the rules
contained in the international law con-
corning the indisputable rights Of the
belligerants should be reversed in
way whereby the belligerantss should
have no longer any rights at all, but be
merely considered as outlaws.
Would Abroyate Rights.
Today the warning nations have the
right of search and the right to
blockade the coasts of the enemy coun-
these right ia the fighting nations.
This would, In q way. implement the
Kellogg pact. which provides that the
aggreSSor nation becomes an outlaw,
but contains no provisions as to what
measures should be taken against such
a nation. BY denying the present ad-
vantages given to belligerents by inter-
national law the question Of deciding
as to who the aggressor may be-one
OF the main drawbacks OF the Kellogg
pact-does not come under discussion
any longer The belligerents would
simply have no rights at all.
THIS alone, however, will not solve
the Geneva deadlock and. in the course
Of the next few days, it is expected that
the President. assisted by the Secre-
taries Of State. War and Navy and Mr..
Davis. will be able to frame more
comprehensive plan for Mr.. Davis to
take to Europe.
The main French objection to the
British plan is the figures proposed by
the British premier as the maximum
regular army the various nations can
maintain.
According to the British plan the
French would be permitted only 200, 900
as metropolitan troops and 200 600 for
the colonies. These figures are re-
ported unacceptable to the French gen.
eral staff.
France must always bear in mind the
fact that she may be compelled to
wage war on two fronts Her main
strength lies in the fact that she can
with her railroad network concentrate
her armies on either or both fronts
within q short time. The present regu-
lar army is barely sufficient. it is said
to cover adequately her frontiers and
permits q mobilization to follow un-
disturbed.
The other 200, 900 soldiers Macdonald
proposes for the colonies, which are
dispersed over the seven seas, cannot be
brought to France easily. Consequently,
it is said the figures suggested by Mr.
Macdonald are considered inadequate
especially when the British prime min
lister suggested that Germany should
have the same number of men while
Italy, also being given parity in number
is permitted to have $4,000 men in her
North African colony, Tripolis. The
French feel, consequently, that the
British plan instead of bringing about
an equilibrium of power in Europe.
places France at disadvantage in regard
to her potential foes. 1t is true that
Frances allies. Poland and the little
entente have been literally treated by
the British, but France is relying mainly
on her own strength for her security.
Germany Cold to Plan.
The French government is reported
as not being opposed to an eventual
slashing of some of the superguns and
supertanks. She is reported to be quite
willing to consider favorably this pro-
posal.
Germany. on the other hand, is re-
ported to have received MacDonald's
plan with little favor It is not man.
power that Germany is after, but war
materials, which would enable her to
make good use of the manpoWer.
Macdonald. while granting the Reich
equality in men with France, has not
suggested anything to satisfy the Ger
man demand for parity with the other
nations in arGaments.
While Germany might build q few
light tanks, the military value Of which
Is doubted by the German professional
soldiers, she is not permitted by the
British plan either to fortify her from
tiers, as the French and the Poles have
done nor is she granted the right to
build for herself a heavy artillery,
which is considered essential in modern
warfare. nor a military aviation, which
is still more essential.
Probable Action Forecast.
Under these circumstances, it IS not
surprising that in spite of the friendly
Geneva speeches in Paris and in Berlin
the Macdonald plan had been received
coldly. AS foreign diplomat of
an important power expressed the whole
situation today, Europe is reluctant to
accept the Macdonald plan as it stands
because it does not give the interested
nations the possibility of carrying on a
war with the proper equipment"
The forecast in well-informed quar-
tiers as to what is going to happen to
the Macdonald plan is that after a
number of speeches will be made by the
various delegates, the interested nations
will make "just q few amendments"
which will be sufiicient to nullify the
whole thing; the amendments will be
sent to the Committee Of Experts, and
then the conference will adjourn to per-
nit these subcommittee to study the
British proposals and the amendments
at their leisure