THE NATIONS’ ARMAMENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 20257, 19 August 1929, Page 8

THE NATIONS’ ARMAMENTS.

How great an; the complications in international relations is demonstrated at tho moment by tbo divergence . of opinion at the Reparations Conference at The Hague and the strained relations between Russia and China. Peace and amity abroad was one- of the cardinal points of Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s election programme, and ins speeches gave the impression that he believed he would have no great difficulty in achieving Jus object. Ho began conversations with' the United States on tho matter of naval disarmament directly ho assumed office, and his Foreign Secretary took up the task of trying to make friends with Russia. Jt is too soon yes' to form any idea of the value of AngloAmerican naval discussions, for only tho merest preliminaries have been readied, but tbo hopes of an immediate agreement with Russia were dashed at iho very beginning because of the intractable attitude of tho Soviet Ministers. At Tho Hague at the moment Britain stands alone, and there is absent from the atmosphere evidence of that cordial feeling so passionately desired by Mr MacDonald. So far as the Manchurian dispute is concerned, Russia appears to have been the aggressor all along, and to bo acting in a wav that is irreconcilable with her obligations as a signatory of the Kellogg Peace Pact. Having an important bearing on international relationships, there lias just been published the fifth edition of the Armaments Year Boole of the League of Nations, covering sixty countries, including the United States. Soviet Russia, and Turkey, which stand outside tho League’s membership. It is a melancholy document, when wo consider Hie conferences, discussions, and propaganda that have aimed at securing world peace in tho years that have passed since the Armistice was signed. The Year Book gives particulars of the strength of tho armies, navies, and air forces. These are stated in a broad way, because necessarily all the latest figures at the time of publication were not available, but for practical purposes there is a reliable comparison between the conditions in 1913 and those prevailing to-day. One is immediately struck by tho fact that there lias not been much advance in the matter of disarmament. Titer© is practically no change in the total peace establishment of tho European armies since 1920 or 1927, though they still fall some 800,000 short of the total in 1913, On this point, however, it must be'borne in mind that Germany is to all intents and purposes disarmed, which makes a tremendous difference in the aggregate. It is pointed out that the world naval tonnage is on the increase, though it falls some 1,400,000 tons.below that of 1913. The largest increase since 1913 is shown by tho United States, the most continuous by Japan. The British tonnage is not ranch more than half the 1913 total. When considering the naval reductions, the fact must not be lost sight of that in many countries the money saved in ihi% hag bsm spent , jn hnildias^

up air forces for what are called “defence purposes.” In Italy in particular and in Franco also tho development of tho air arm has received much attention. Another point that comes in for consideration is the “ mechanisation " of armies, •by means of -which oven genuine reductions are counter-balanced by increased striking force. In the matter of the cost of armaments, sine© 1925 there has been a rise in the defence expenditure index for Franco of 69 per cent, (with a further increase in 1929), Lithuania 12 per cent., Poland 17 pci*, cent,, Rumania 64 per cent., and Russia S-l per cent. It is significant that these increases are in countries which are included in what are called the “ danger spots ” of Europe. In the instances where there is no intention of aggression it is obvious that there is fear of aggression. Tho other European nations show no very marked change, unless it is Italy, the figures for which are hard to obtain. Great Britain’s defence * expenditure lias dropped S per cent, since 1924, while there has been a rise of 18 per cent, in tho United States compared with 1926, and of 11 per cent, in Japan,