GERMANY AND DISARMAMENT.

Northern Advocate, 30 January 1922, Page 2

GERMANY AND DISARMAMENT.

HIDDEN GUN TUBES.

WKAK KXCrSKS

The "Times" published on November 23 particulars supplied by its correspondent at. Berlin with referen«e to the discovery of the 150 gun tubes at the Rockstroh factory, Heidenau, near Dresden. The representatives of the Tnter-Allicd Commission were refused admission to the factory by the management. They therefore applied to the police, and an attempt was made to load the inquiry into the channel of negotiations with the Government of Saxony. The Police President of Dresden was induced to take action, and officers of the commission, accompanicd by police officials were allowed into the factory.

At one point they iound a doorway walled up. The work had been done so recently that the mortar was not then set. The officers demanded that the wall should be brokeu through. The management, backed by the workmen, declined to do this, and also declined to permit outside w r orkmen to do so. In the circumstances the InterAllied officers withdrew for further instructions, while the police were requested to furnish a guard to prevent any arms being removed.

Nothing could be done for some days, but finally the Inter-Allied officers, after long negotiations with the management and the workmen, ultimately made their investigations. The wall was broken through and the 100 gun tubes for light howitzers were discovered in the presence of the police, after the most definite statement that the factory was not authorised for the manufacture of munitions, and that it contained no war material.

After the guns had been discovered, ] numerous explanations on the part of the management and the workmen's organisations were forthcoming. Itappeared from this that the woikmen wore perfectly well aware that the guns were hidden there. Both also were anxious to explain that they wore not new but had only been made in the last month of the war. They also declared that they had merely wanted to conceal the arms from the Gorman authorities and in due course to use the chrome-nickel steel as material for the manufacture of peace articles. These explanations may be taken for what they are worth in the light of previous events. The spirit inspiring the German attitude towards disarmament is further illustrated by an article contributed by Lieutenant-General Cramon to the "Kreuz Zeitung." General Cramon recently tendered his resignation from the office of chief liaison officer in a letter which, to say the least, had better been left unwritten. In his article General Cramon says General Nollet acted the dictator from the moment of his arrival in Germany, and had to ln> told that the German officers did not need to be reminded that they must keep their word. General Cramon says the French General seemed to stand in great awe of German thor-

oughness and energy. "When our iarmy was Tedueed to 200,000 men he told me quite openly he thought it still capable of attacking Fiance with success, and when I pointed out that hoavv artillery, all air material and other technical requirements, such as were nil wanting, I could not alter his opinion." He describes these views as consciously misleading, and declares that all Germany desires is to work m peace and to put. her finances in order. He does not deny that here and there persons have concealed arms, munitions, and other warlike materials for reasons which they believed to be patriotic, but he does not believe that if a Government were to attack France it could reckon on a tenth of the estimated millions coming to the Colours. Therefore, apparently, he would permit the continued manufacture of T\.ir ma terial. It is curious reasoning.