The Evening Star TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 1934. GERMAN ARMAMENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 21662, 6 March 1934, Page 6

The Evening Star TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 1934. GERMAN ARMAMENTS.

The prospects for the Disarmament Conference are black. France and Germany have now intimated in all ways except formally that they will not accept the British plan. Franco complains that, lacking a test period, it would lead to the disarmament of France and the rearmament of her neighbour. Germany represents that she has made enough concessions and it is France’s turn. Herr Hitler’s minimum programme of bringing German armaments to the level of others is declared to bo “a compact, constructive solution from which nothing can be taken.” Probably what is chiefly in the minds of both France and Germany is a programme on the latter part which is unavowed, but is proceeding quite efficiently towards the desired end. Without waiting for an agreement on the armaments which she may have Germany is rearming. The Powers that boggle now about conceding this or that will have to yield, sooner or later, to a

“ fait accompli.” As tho Berlin correspondent of 1 The Times ’ puts the position in two recent articles, Germany, fifteen years after her collapse, feels that she is within reach of the third main objective of her after-war foreign policy—military equality. The first two objectives were the evacuation of the Rhineland and the abolition of' reparations. She has obtained those. The third would be also achieved if the Powers with whom she has been arguing would disarm down to her standard. Since they wilt not do that, she is taking her own way to arrive at equality. Secret rearming on tho part of Germany was made by her a high art when the Treaty of Versailles put restrictions on her armaments. This correspondent does not doubt that it has progressed steadily under Nazi rule. The number of men, he points out, permanently or periodically under a discipline ultimately inspired and governed by the principle of readiness to bear arms, is vast. The Reichswehr is so organised that in an emergency, by an influx from the Storm Detachments, it could conceivably be tripled m strength. The police have retained their military organisation, they boast rifles and machine guns, and they have ample opportunities for military training. The Storm Detachments are supposed to bo weaponless, but the remarkable improvement in their appearance and march discipline since Hitlerism came to power reflects the' training they , receive. There are 250,000 young men living under military discipline in the camps and barracks of the Labour Corps, and though it is denied that they are trained to arms readiness to bear arms is a governing principle of this organisation. And there are other reserves of highly trained men. Though the fact would be hard to prove, “ malice is not needed for the assumption that an air force is taking shape, that pilots are being trained, an'd that machines are available.” The correspondent evidently. believes this, though he does not believe that Germany could “ in a very short time after the outbreak of war produce more military machines than the combined output of British and French factories.” As to anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, “ everybody is familiar with those ‘ dummies,’ complete in every detail save for the wooden barrels, which have long been seen at manoeuvres, and it is not difficult to. imagine that steel barrels could quickly be added. Tanks also, are prohibited, but the manufacture of caterpillar chassis for agricultural purposes and of armour plate is not.” Germany probably would accept something hardly to be differentiated from the British plan if there was any prospect of ‘ Franco accepting it. Franco might as well allow the concessions that would bridge tho difference from her proposals, because, though these and the other weapons may be disallowed on paper, she cannot prevent Germany from possessing them. “ If those who do not wish Germany to rearm cannot stop her from rearming, if they are not prepared to march on Berlin, there seems little point in forcing her to rearm surreptitiously.” There is on© point that makes a fear. If Germany is to be given her third objective—practical as well as theoretical equality of armaments—might she not be encouraged to go on to a fourth ? Would a new prominence be at once given to territorial grievances? As against that fear Herr Hitler has repeatedly insisted that, equality ouco conceded, he has no desire, and would think it the worst of policy,, to press those by force. Locarno is a safeguard bn Germany’s western frontier, and the new treaty with Poland just entered into by the Nazi Government promises a like protection for the eastern one, which appears to confirm his peaceful assurances. Other safeguards must be found by agreement. The disarmament of Germany will not effect the purpose, for that cannot be enforced.