Evening star., 1933-01-08
BY vIsCoUNT CECIL OF CHELwooD.

BY VISCOUNT CECIL OF CHELWOOD.
TT is a good thing for Germany, for
Europe and the world that Ger
many has returned to Geneva. Her
| 4 absence would have impeded,
though there is no reason that 1t
/ should have prevented, successful nego-
| tiationS.
At the same time, the five-power
agreement, which announces this recon-
Citation, is more the repair of blum
der than it is a step forward. Had the
principal allied powers been willing to
say last July what they are now saying,
Germany need never have left the con-
ference; the movement for rearmament
among her militaristS need never have
received the impetus which, for bar
gaining purposes no doubt, the leaders
of German policy allowed it to be given;
the merchants of blood and glory would
have had no ground to greet this agree
ment with soaring shares. 1t is bad
precedent. If one great country can
obtain by threats and abStention from
discussion what she could not gain by
unassisted argument, who knows that
others may not follow her example?
No Good Crying.
But it is no good crying over split
milk. What the peoples demand is an
end to this conference-and satisfac-
tory end The time to enter upon the
decisive phase has come. Unless there
can be great and striking cut in arma-
ments before long, unless this bitter
wrangling about the relative strength of
armies, navies and air forces can be
silenced, there will be no return of con-
fldence between nations, no prospect OF
a successful world economic conference.
The recognition Of equality of status
in armaments, together with security
for all nations, is the basis Of the five
power agreement. Part of the treaty
of Versailles is to be replaced by Ger
many's adherence to the general dis
armament treaty, and in that treaty
must be embodied concrete provisions
for making the agreement effective.
Now there is no other acceptable way
of reaching general equality of status
except by substantial measure Of dis
armament. Any attempt to reconcile
that principle with the obstinate affec-
tions of the War Departments of Britain,
France, America and Japan for their
most deadly new mechanical toys spells
ruin. When every type of weapon or
military formation is considered. the
same dilemma presents itself. Either
you retain it, in which case you invite
Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bull
garia to do likewise or to acquire 1t
anew-a fantastic outcome of dis
armament conference" and one which
can only revive the bad old race in
armaments-or you do not want these
countries to possess it, in which case
you must in principle give it up your
self-which is a real beginning of dis
armament.
Three Sections Seen.
The proposals in the direction of
equality fall into three sections. First
there is the moral satisfaction of sub
stituting a new, undiscriminating treaty
which limits the forces of all nations
for all the special treaties of disarma-
ment imposed upon Germany and her
allies.
Next there is the recognition of the
| fact that the rules concerning military
service at present binding upon Ger
many are unsatisfactory from many
! points Of view Germany is obliged to
have small, highly trained, expensive
| professional army. 1t would be better,
! II is argued, even in the interests OF
disarmament, to permit Germany and
! her allies a measure Of compulsory en-
| listment, so long as the period of service
! IS short and the number Of men with
| the colors at any given time strictly
| limited. Delicate ground, but not plain
| ly inadmissible with proper safeguards
| Thirdly, there is the proposal that
those kinds of armamentS which Ger
many cannot at present possess and
which which are believed-as they GER
tainly were believed when the Versailles
| treaty was being drawn up-to facill-
tate sudden smashing attack should
be given up by the other powers.
To this reform I attribute far more
Importance than to the rest. For one
thing, it is the only big, visible de-
crease which can be effected in the
armaments of the world without enter
ing into the tangled maze of discus
sion upon ratios" of strength. For
another thing, it removes one of the
fragrant inequalities between victorS
and vanquished. I know there are
those who say that 10000 tons was a
1