Evening star., 1933-01-04
Reich Cabinet Member Gives
History of Demand Pre-
sented to Powers.
Declaration of Dec. II Called
Decisive Achievement of
Nations Policy.
BY BARON Won NEURATH.
German Minister for Foreign Affairs.

power deliberations represents a de-
cisive achievement of the German dis
| armament policy which has been pur-
sued up till now
| Germany went to the Disarmament
| Conference with dual demand Dis
| armament of the other powers on the
basis of the Versailles treaty, and equal
treatment for Germany.
| We took the stand, juStif1able on
| juridical and moral grounds, that the
condition of the unilateral disarmament
| of Germany should end and be re-
| placed by a regime of general d1sarm-
ament, with equal obligations for all
countries.
| During the first phase of the Disarm-
ament Conference we sought to achieve
| disarmament in accordance with the
military clauses of the Versailles treaty
| The resolution passed by the confer
ence when it adjourned July % showed
clearly the other countries were not
ready to undertake any such far-reach-
/ ing limitations of their right to arm
as those imposed on us, and that, there
| fore, legal equality could not be estab-
lshed in that way.
Equality Dema nded.
| No other course remained open to us
for the fulfllment of our claim to equal
treatment. therefore, except the en-
| trance of Germany into the scheme
of general disarmament which the con-
ference would resolve upon; that is
substitution of part v Of the Versailles
treaty by the Disarmament Convention
to be devised by the Disarmament Con-
ference. That was the purport of the
demand submitted by us to the con-
ference last July-that 1t should ex-
press in its adjournment resolution the
recognition of the principle of equality
That demand was refused. We there
upon replied by declaring we would
refuse further participation In the con-
ference so long as equal treatment was
denied U.S.
We endeavored subsequently, by
means Of diplomatic negotiations and
conversations with authoritative per-
sons during the sessions of the League
of Nations, to get the other great pow
ers to recognize Germanys right 70
equal treatment.
At first we received unfavorable and
evasive answers from France and Great
Britain. The Italian premier, Mussc-
| lini, alone advocated from the very be-
ginning Germany's right to equality
especially emphasizing this view in his
significant speech in Turin. We coun-
tered with a decisive refusal all at.
| tempts, to get us back into the Dis
armament Conference unless given re-
ognition of our right to equality.
Recognition by England.
Meanwhile, matters took a more IA
vorable turn for Germany In Eng
land, too, the justice Of our standpoint
was acknowledged in ever increasing
circles. In the House of Commons No
vember 10, and afterward in the bureau
| of the Disarmament Conference No
vember II, the English foreign Secre-
tary approved our demand for equality
This approval he formulated in such a
way as to make us feel justified in re-
| turning to the Disarmament Confer
4 ence; always provided the other great
powers placed themselves on the same
| footing. November IA, the French gov
ernment published a new disarmament
plan which, though not expressly ac'
knowledging our right to equality, tacit.
| ly assented to the principle of equality
and foresaw its gradual enactment
Such was the position when the rep
resentatives of Germany, England
France and Italy met in Geneva at the
extraordinary assembly of the League
of Nations to deal with the Manchuriar
question At the instigation of the Eng
lish prime minister, deliberations wert
initiated dealing with the question ol
equal treatment for Germany, and II
those deliberations a representative Of
the United States also took part. The
French premier submitted a formula
concerning equal treatment which. al.
though showing significant advance
I did not regard as satisfactory.
Offers Counter Questions.
I therefore put forward some counter
questions and made some complement
tary proposals. In the tedious negotia'
tions, during which the English prime
minister, Ramsay Macdonald, used al
his great authority and skill as medi
ator, and in the course of which th'
representatives of the other countr1e
likewise supported Germany, the con
ference succeeded in establishing tn
four points embodied in the declaration
which was signed December II.
In this declaration the German nigh
to euuaIity-and on this point no man
ner of Interpretation can after the lac
is uneuuivocally recognized. 1t is no
characterized as goal. as NJ. Herriot'
first formula intended it to be, but a
one of the leading principles Of the Dis
armament Conference to be given prac
tical realization in the convention
Germany also demands the security TO
all countries referred to in the decla
ration. since Germany does not posses
| the minimum measure of national Sc
curity provided b. acticle 8 OF tn
| League of Nations covenant. German
seeks to attain this security through tn
practical realization Of equality within
the compass of general disarmament.
When the Disarmament Conference
began its sessions. February 2, 1882, !
already had the fully elaborated draf
convention of the preparatory Disar
mament Commission, article So o
which repudiated the right OF German
and ether disarmed countries to equal
itv Moreover. the draft convention
provided that the disarmament stipula
tiors of the peace treaties were to re
main in force quite Independently o
tha outcome Of the Disarmament Con
ference.
Equal Right for All.
True. the conference did not accep
the draft convention es a basis. a
many countries desired. but rather as
framework Of it's negotiations. Thu
article So remained the subject OF dis
cussion for the conference. Since tn
t1ve-power agreement of December i
I this is no longer the case, Article 3
of the draft convention is moribunt
In future there will not be. as thi
article foreSaw, two kinds of rights i
the armament question. but only equG
right for ell. The disarmament con
, yention to be elaborated bv the confer
ence is to be Just as valid for us g
for the others. and will replace Part
of the Versailles treaty.
e It would be wrong. however, to SUP
: pose the battle already won. The det
a laration of December IL provides thi
. the manner and method Of the applics
( ton of the principle of equal treatmel
2 shall be discussed at the DisarmameI
:" Conference. This is in keeping wit
{ the standpoint we have adopted fro
: the beginning; but it naturally mean
: too, that the dispute about the pra'
tical carrying out OF our claim to equ