Evening star., 1934-02-04
REICH RE|TERATES
DEMAND FOR ARMY
Answer to France Declares
Other Nations Are Not
Disposed to Disarm.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Asserting lit was thoroughly cor
vinced that the discussions which
have taken place for the last eight
years have proved clearly that the
highly armed powers principally con-
cerned are not disposed to disarm IN
a really effective manner" the Ger
man government reiterated its de-
mand for a defensive force Of 100000
men in its answer to the French note
of January !.
The German answer-made public
at the German embassy last night
insisted Germany has no greater de-
sire than the widest possible measures
of disarmament" Since the other
powers, including France, have failed
to diSarm. however, the note insisted
Germany be allowed the right to arm
itself for defensive purposes.
Denying that allowing Germany
100000 troops for defense would result
in an armaments race. the note de-
clared that 80 far as Germany is
concerned it would only mean the
creation of a defensive army which
would be far from constituting men,
ace to any other state"
Number Called Minimum.
Taking into account the geograph-
ical situation. and especially the
length and nature Of the German
frontiers" the note asserted that 300,-
900 troops lis from any point of view
the minimum which Germany re-
Quires for her security in the present
circumstances. This becomes partic-
ularly evident when a comparison is
made of this figure with the arma-
ments of the heavily armed neighbor-
ing states. among which are, besides
France and its allies, Poland, Czecho-
slovakia and Belgium
The note pointed out that all Ger
many's neighbors also have great
masses of trained reserves" and that
France alone. by general mobili-
zation could put 100000 men in the
field.
Germany, the note said. has no or
ganizations that could be compared
with the reserves Of other nations.
Moreover" it asserted. "the Ger
man government has declared its
willingness to submit the non-mili-
tary character of the associations in
question to the planned interna-
tional control in so far as other coun-
tries undertake the same obligations
with respect to their similar organi-
zations'
1t was emphasized that the 0,000
nen requested would serve only short
no oy11iSf
erved by the Reichswehr
In conclusion, the note said:
Even if the future German army
with short training period will COM
prise 100000 men. and if, further
more, together with the transforma-
ton of the Reichswehr into any army
of the new type, the necessity of de-
fensive weapons is conceded, France
and the other heavily armed states
still continue to be far in the lead
with respect to ornaments.
Negotiations Favored.
"Under these circumstances, q re-
fusal of the German demands could
but mean that Germany's equality is.
in reality, not desired TO be recog-
nized.
The German government shares. of
course, the opinion that the disarma-
ment problem cannot be solved solely
by negotiations between Germany and
France and that negotiations with all
the interested States are necessary.
These general negotiations. however,
will be greatly facilitated by an &C
cord between Germany and France of
the questions Of principle. such an ac-
cord constituting one of the most i'm
portant prerequisites for the conclu-
sion of the disarmament convention.
The spirit in which Germany is
ready for international cooperation is
shown by her offer to conclude pacts
of non-aggression ..
The urgent requirement of the mo-
ment is the settlement of the dis
armament question. the successful So
luton Of which will pave the way to
the solution of the other political
problems which are pending"