The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 1929. A LEAD FOR THE NATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 182, 3 August 1929, Page 8

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 1929. A LEAD FOR THE NATIONS.

For th« cause that lacks assistant*, For the, wrong that needs resistance, - : y For the future in the distance, And the good that vx eon do.

Three months ago. a general election was held in Denmark, and 52 per cent of the voters gave their support to the Radical and SocialDemocrat candidates. One of tho main issues at the election was the -proposed reduction of the defence forces, and the new Government, supported by a definite majority of the electors, is now. prepared to carry its programme into effect. It may be assumed that the Bill, when submitted to the Lower House, will pass without difficulty,, as a ...similar proposal was carried there in 1926. And though the Upper House includes 40 Conservatives and only 36, Socialist-Radicals, it. is generally anticipated that the pressure of public opinion will force the bill through the revising Chamber as well. The measure which the new Government has prepared for the consideration of Parliament is very comprehensive and thoroughgoing. All land and sea forccs are to be disbanded,.and the.Ministries of War and the Navy are to be abolished. A small force .will bo enlisted for coastal patrol duty, biit it will bo placed .under the direct orders of the Prime Minister. The surviving military force of 2000 men will be commanded not by a General;' but by a "Director," and his subordinates will not be military officers, but merely civilian officials. The navy will consist of a small, coastguard squadron, which, including all types of' craft, will not exceed 13,500 tons— about tho displacement of one fairly large cruiser. These details show that "disarmament" in the case of Denmark is to be no empty formality, but the absolute, sacrifice and surrender of all the present naval and military means of national defence. The reasons -for this extraordinary step have been set forth in clear and impressive language by the Premier, Stauning, the leader of tho Socialist Group. . He argues that Denmark is "incapable of self-defence," and that this fact should be frankly recognised. Tho position and configuration of the country \ are such that it could not hope to keep off a hostile army or navy in any strength, and it should therefore be satisfied with "a border and patrol which will have no military functions to perform." But quite apart from the position of, Denmark and the responsibilities. of its rulers, Stauning holds that 'the step which his Government proposes to. take may prove a good example for other nations to follow in regard to the abolition of all armaments, which in his opinion have become "the most serious burden of all peoples, and an obstacle to cultural advance." , There Can be no doubt that the Danish 1 is actuated by honest and admirable'indentions in taking jßjit opinions may differ as: to whether it is likely to; influence other States in the same direction or provide a precedent for general disarmament on an international scale. The helplessness of a small country which has voluntarily abandoned all hope of protecting itself by force should' be a sufficient defence, and an attack upon Denmark or an infringement of its political rights would in all probability stijr the outraged conscience of'the civilised world and compel intervention on its behalf. But'it by no means follows that a country which in a material or territorial sense has much more, to lose than Denmark would be equally safe in abandoning military and naval defencealtogether and relying on the world's goodwill and desire for peace to save it from disaster in the future. Armies: and navies are. in the last resort the only police force that the nations possess, and the spirit of humanity must change very materially for the better, before it will be safe to dispense with them entirely either at home or abroad. .