Evening star., 1935-01-03
Move to Curb Munitions
Trade Believed Paving
Way to ParIey.
CONCESSION EXPECTED
TO GERMAN DEMANDS
Europe Declared Ready to Rec
ognize Reich's Military Prep
arations Cannot Be Halted.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.


The administration is reported to be
prepared to make another drive to |
end the costly armament race now
again in full swing all over the world.
The effort on the part of the Ameri-
can Government to press for control
of the international arms trade is in
tended to serve as an inducement for
the revival Of the limitation Of arms
conference.
Although State Department officials
are reticent regarding the possibility
of reviving the Disarmament Confer
ence, they think that, despite the
strained situation in Europe, there is
fair chance for the European ma
tions to get together again and come
to an understanding regarding q def
mite limitation Of ornaments.
Wilson Here for Conference.
Hugh Wilson. American Minister
to Switzerland, who is temporarily
replacing Norman H. Davis as Presi-
dent Roosevelts plenipotentiary in
Europe on disarmament matters, has
spent 10 days in Washington confer
ring with high officials of the State
Department
Mr.. Wilson is returning to Europe
about January 10 with new set of
instructions to sound out the various
powers about the revival OF the Gene
va conference.
State Department officials say that
for the time being they are inter-
ested chiefly in Secretary Hull's pro-
posal to control the manufacture of
arms.
The principal feature Of this pro-
posal Is the control by an internation-
al commission of the statements
issued by the different countries re-
garding the manufacturer of arms
and ammunition.
Olive Branch TO Germany.
It Is hoped that Germany, which
has so far not co-operated in the dis
armament move, may be induced to
attend this meeting. When the Ger
man delegates come in contact again
with the representatives of other
powers they will be approached with
the view Of getting Germany back to
the Limitation of Arms Conference,
which the Reich deserted in october,
1898.
The situation for such a move ap-
pears propitious at the present mo-
ment. And this for two reasons.
First, Germany is in difficult eco
nomic circumstances and should be
willing to participate in a gathering
to stop the present arms race. Sec
ond. Germany left the Geneva meet
ings because the nations gathered
to have token armaments.'
Since October 1888, the situation
has changed radically. Despite the
restrictions of the Versailles treaty the
German government has proceeded to
rearm and today it has not only a
larger army than it is supposed to
have. but also airplanes, tanks, gas
and heavy artillery, all Of which the
French and British refused her Is
months ago at Geneva.
French Expected to Yield.
This is an undeniable fact which
nobody can fail to take into consider
alton. and there is no way of stopping
Germany from rearming.
Because of this situation 1t Is be-
heved that the French government ul-
timately will bow to the inevitable
fact that Germany cannot be re-
strained from having all the arms she
wants.
1t is suggested that if the control
of the manufacture of ornaments is
concluded successfully. Germany should
be invited to return to the Disarma-
ment Conference at Geneva, where
she should declare all the munitions
she possesses at present, together with
true statement Of her military ef-
fectives.
The present German military
strength will then be taken as a
yardstick for all big powers, which
will be required to reduce their armies
to approximately the German level
This idea is not in contradiction
with the German ideas of 1888, when
the Berlin government stated that
it wanted to have only the right to
possess the same war implements the
other nations have
II there Is q willingness on the part
Of France and Germany to accept
such a solution, it is believed the
United States might play an i'm
portant role to make a limitation of
arms treaty effective.