The Washington times., 1934-02-27
HELD ONLY WAY
To HALT WAR
IN EUROPE
II DuCe Believes France Must
Agree to Germany's Request;
Quick Action Necessary
CONTINUED from Page -

make the answer negative.
He has declared that he believes
war may be held off for 10 years,
But he made it plain today that
in his opinion:
War will come If Europe goes IN
for a race in ornaments.
Disarmament is impossible.
Germany is going to rearm
openly and nobody can stop her.
Up To the French
Further, that if Germany begins
to rearm openly, without an agree
ment on limits, the ornaments
race will have started, and once
started it can't be stopped.
Therefore, that unless France
soon comes to an agreement per
hitting Germany enough arms to
satisfy her and to induce her to
promise to limit them Germany
will soon begin to rearm openly
without limits.
Finally, that this time Is close
upon us, that the matter is Of the
utmost urgency for all Europe.
and that France must act. ]
asked:
"Does It seem to your excel
lency desirable that Germany
should be prevented from re-
arming, or does it seem possible,
and if it is impossible does your
excellency believe that it will be
possible to prevent D race In
armamentS?"
HAS THE RIGHT
ut is obvious by now that
the socaIled ideal disarmament
Is impossible though it is the
one thing that the Italian gov
eminent has most desired, and
win not cease to strive for.
ut is also obvious that 1t Is
impossible to prevent Germany
from rearming. She has q right
to under The treaty which prom
ised her equality. If the armed
powers will not diSarm, Germany
plainly has the judicial right to
rearm.
"TOday it is plan to every
body, even to the neutral
states, the smaller states such
as Switzerland, Holland, Den
mark, that Germany is going
Ito rearm and that nothing can
stop her and that the only
question now is whether her
proportional rearmament can
be kept within certain limits.
And that is the only way you
can prevent an ornaments
race.
WILL BELIEVE THEM
"Isn't that plain, logical, IT.
REPUTABLE? Quite aside from
what is desirable, it is clear
that Germany has the right to
rearm and that she is going to
rearm and that nobody can
stop her from rearming, would
it not be infinitely preferable
to obtain her promise to limit
her rearmament than to let
the whole discussion break up
and everybody go off and arm
without limit?
"Thcre is the real danger In
Europe today. Now the critics
of this perfectly plain and ire
futable argument say but we
can't trust the Germans /
say we must trust them.
"When Hitler and linden
burg over and over again have
pledged their word to keep the
peace, we must take it seriously.
4 am prepared to believe them
and to act accordingly.
eff others are not prepared
to do so, may I ask them
What then are you going to
dO?'
MUST STOP NOW
obviously it is better to have
q promise than no promise, and
unless you are prepared to take
another course, 1t Is also better
to trust the promise.
''DO not forget that such
promises from Germany this
time would be freely given, not
extracted. =
Mussolini paused. Then he said
reflectively:
81 believe we will keep the
peace If only we can prevent
an unlimited race in arma-
mentS. The time has now come
when we must act swiftly and
deciSively to prevent such a race.
ut is the eleventh hour. We
have no choice but to make an
agreement. We would prefer
an agreement to diSarm. But
If we can't get that, we must
have some agreement. 1t is
vital to the peace of the world
and this may be our last
chance to get it. We must
take into consideration Hitler'S
word. Nothing can be done
with suspicion.
TAKE HITLER'S WORD
1--WE must accpet his word
and have faith not only that
it will be kept but that the
granting Of the present Ger.
man demands will not be fol-
lowed by demands for more
during the time Of the agree
ment.
"This Is the only road to
peace. It is . road we must
all take"
(Tomor W-Knickerbocker
stUtnoS back to the Polish Corridor
question. From Gdynid. Poland,
he WriteS holD that matter noU
has apparently been settled for
ut least 10 veGTSJ