MANY CRITICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 259, 1 November 1932, Page 7

MANY CRITICS.

FRENCH ARMS PLAN

BRITAIN UNAFFECTED.

Return of German Militarism

Foreseen. "EXPLOSIVENESS" IN EUROPE. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyrlght) (Heceived 1 p.m.) LONDON, October 31. The newspapers are displaying great interest in the proposals in the French disarmament plan for abolishing professional armies, and the conversion of all land forces in Europe into a militia recruited by conscription for shdrt periods of service.

Britain will not be asked to institute conscription or to alter the present organisation of the British Army in any way, and the proposal is intended as a biisie for the Continental armies only.

Until the French plan is developed in fuller details, particularly in relation to Germany's claim to equality of statue, and in regard to the proposals for aerial and naval disarmament, no official comment is available in London. It is anticipated that the complete scheme put forward by the French will be outlined at Geneva on November 4. Germany Would Bβ Greatest Power. The Berlin correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian" says the disarmament plan would make Germany the greatest military power in Europe. The proposed militia could only be raised by conscription. The abolition of the Reichswehr would not be real for it would be incorporated in the militia, thus re-establiehing the old military caste in a new form. "To anyone who is acquainted with the frightful explosive antagonism in Europe to-day," eays the correspondent, "the idea of M. Herriot's international force seems fantastic. Germany, with a militia of which the 'abolished' Reichswehr would be the nucleus, would be relatively as formidable as in 1914 and be able to defy the world's peace organisation."

The Geneva correspondent of the "Guardian'-' says the plan has intensely disappointed League of Nations circles, for it is feared it means the rearmament of Germany. It is considered that the restoration of conscription, even in a limited form, would mean disaeter to Germany and the world. From British Standpoint. The "Daily Telegraph" diplomatic writer eays M. Herriot's scheme is highly complicated. From the British standpoint the most serious, matter is that the French plan would render more rigid Britain's obligations under Article XVI. of the League Covenant and the Ehineland and Locarno pacts.

The basic idea of the French plan is to reduce all Continental armies to the statue of militias for purely defensive purposes, with a small body of trained soldiers to form part of. a,/ collective force for the repreesion of aggression.

A message from Paris etates that M. Herriot, speaking at Poitiers on Ms way to Spain, said he believed there was pood ground for the hope that the new French disarmament-plan would prove a rallying point for all courageous ininds.