BERMAN REPLY

Northern Advocate, 5 February 1934, Page 9

BERMAN REPLY

armament plan FRENCH NOTE REBUTTED UTTERLY INADEQUATE. STRONG EXCEPTION TAKEN. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.» (Received 9 a.m.) BERLIN, February 3. The German Government’.s reply tribe French aide momoire on disarmament. has been published. It says;— “We have grave doubt whether this is the way to treat the disarmament problems in' accordance with justice and the serving of the cause of peace. “Germany’s principal objections are that the French suggestions regarding war material would postpone disarmament for several years. It would be no contribution to security if the highly armed states merely undertook not to prepare new weapons of aggression, while Germany had to be content with the thoroughly inadequate weapons allowed her under the Treaty of YTev.saillcs. “The question of the numerical ' strength of armies can be decided only when it is learned what France proposes to do about her overseas troops, especially her African forces, which can be brought, to Europe at a mo ment’s notice. If it is intended that Germany shall not possess an air force, it is not even to be -suggested that a reduction would alter Germany’s condition of radical inequality and total defeneelessness. “Germany doubts the fairness of the proposed , control system, which will work differently in disarmed states, ai opposed to the highly armed one. “Is discrimination against. Germany to be prolonged for a further period of years? Can the other Powers find any justification for a plan which is so hard ■to reconcile with the honour and security of the German people? j