AN ARMS POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1932, Page 9

AN ARMS POLICY

WHERE PRANCE STANDS

HERRIOT'S SURVEY

Tlie recent debate concerning the French Government's foreign policy and the meeting of tho Disarmament Congress in Paris have given us important indications as to what is going on in the minds of the leaders of tho political parties in Prance, writos Edouard Herriot, ex-Premier of Prance in the "Montreal Star." Let us examine their proposals.

We shall begin with the Left "Wing and go down the list to the Right Wing. It is useless for mo to deal at length with tho policy outlined by tho Communists; everyone is familiar with it. It is the same for France as it is for every other country in tho world, namely, f at peace can bo assured only by adopting tho programmo of the

Third International. The Socialists, who have about 100 seats, propose complete disarmament for all countries, which shall proceed by progressive stages and be supervised* by a Commission. They request that in the meantime the Government authorise only such military expenditures as are absolutely necessary. Their ideas are not at all revolutionary. M. Leon Blum, the Socialist leader, is not very contented with tho stand taken by his party. He used to preach disarmament for France alone, but lately he has said nothing about this doctrine of his. M. Emile Vandervelde disavowed a similar policy for Belgium at the last congress held by the, Workers' Party. In the speech which he delivered* on 26th November, M. Blum said very little about tho disarmament question. But by indirect ways he has shown himself favourably inclined towards a revision of tho Versailles Treaty and disarmament for France. He contented himself, in hia speech, simply in making fun of M. Pierre Laval's attempt to solve certain European problems with President Hoover. I believe that I can safely state that the Party as a whole is in favour of the revision of the Versailles Treaty and a reduction of armaments for France. They are simply a bit backward to go on record publicly as being in favour of theso policies. BADICAL'S VIEWS. At its last conference, the Radical and Radical-Socialist Party passed a resolution embodying its ideas concerning the disarmament question. Tho rosolution requests the simultaneous and supervised reduction and limitation of all armaments; the extension of the powers of the League of Nations, and tho organisation of international protective forces. The following stipulations were made: (1) Commercial aviation to be internationalised and the military aviation forces of all countries placed under the control of the League of Nations. (2) The internationalisation of all railroads and steamship lines which may be necessary to the mobilisation, and transportation of troops. (3) The manufacture and sale of war material by a private enterprise to be forbidden. (4) The appointment of an international commission which shall see that the foregoing stpulations are carried out. Tho request of the League of Nations for an armament moratorium was approved. As you see, my party has a clear-cut programme which should bring results. To my mind tho formation of an international armed force for the maintenance of peace is tho only feasible solution to the difficult problem of disarmament. Any other solution is pure chimera. In tho carrying out of our ideas, the most urgent matter is the internationalisation of the different air forces. Aerial attacks are .the most to be feared. The reduction of land and naval forces avails nothing should we leave commercial aviation free to be transformed into carriers of projectiles and gas bombs. ' > NOT STATIC. Here is another point which I want to bring to the attention of pacifists the world over: the mere numerical reduction of armaments is not a solution s to the disarmament problem. Ten thousand German soldiers who have been put through a period of forced training of twelve years are worth much more as a fighting force than 10,000 French soldiers who have had only a few months of training. With her superior technical resources, Germany can make a more effective fighting machine out of a cruiser of 10,000 tons than a nation less advantageously equipped. The disarmament problem is not a static problem. Having outlined the positions taken by, the Socialists and the Radicals, let us now examine the stand taken by certain prominent political personages who belong to no particular party. Among these is M. Paul Boncour, who distinguished himself at Geneva. He disagrees with the Socialist Pa'ty's position, the party with which he was affiliated for a long time. On 27th November, during the course of a private session held by the Disarmament Congress, he summed up hia ideas about disarmament as follows: "Disarmament in itself is no guarantee of peace any more than an increase in armaments would be. The nations of the world will disarm completely only when they are certain of having the protection of an international armed force which shall be under the supervision of the League of Nations." He agrees in principle with the Eadicals. On 28th November, at the session held at the Trocadero, M. Painleve exposed his point of view, clear and to the point, as was to be expected from the scholar that he is. He stated that the world's'present disquietude concerning peace is due to the fact that the Versailles Treaty has not been lived up to; that progress has been made in the furtherance of the idea that difficulties between nations can be solved by arbitration, and like M. Boncour, believeß that disarmament in itself is no guarantee of peace. CAN BE TRANSFORMED. "Peace-time factories," he saicl, can be quickly transformed into suppliers of means of destruction." He advocated the formation of an international armed force and the internationalisation of at least the aviation. His voice trembled when he said: "I have not many more years to live, and I hope that before I die I shall be able to see the aeroplane which has already accomplished the hardest task of all, its victory against the forces of gravity, used as a means of bringing the peoples of the world closer together instead of tearing them apart." It is quite clear that he, too, agrees in principle with the Eadicals. The same is true concerning tho other members of the Left Wing. Now whatt about, the Eight Wing, which represents tho majority vote in the Chamber of Deputies, the mainstay of the Government and M. Maginot, Minister of War? M. Joan Fabry, although a member of the Socialist-Democratic Party, has expressed his opinion regarding disarmament independently of his party. In a speech delivered at the Disarmament. Congress on ■ 26th November he stated that the allotment of 13 or 14 thousand million francs for military expenditures out of a total budget of 50 thousand million francs is out of all reason. I believe that ho sincerely wishes the Disarmament Conference shall prove to bo a success. Ho considers, as M. Paiuleve, M. Boncour, and we Badicals do, that the industrial forces of a nation constitute in themselves a terrible and uncontrollable armament. He, too, demands that tho articles 8, 15, and 16 of the Covenant of the League of Nations be strictly enforced. Ho, too, advocates tho formation of an international armed forco to preserve peace. No fair-minded person can find fault with these words of his: No nation has the right to ask another nation to disarm unless it is ready to promise to come to the aid of that nation in the event of a criminal attack upon it." The situation then can be summed up as follows: Not counting the Socialists (I think that even they can be brought into the fold), a large majority vote can be hoped for in the Chamber of Deputies in favour of a disarmament plan based upon the formation of an international armed force to preserve peaco which shall be placed under the control of the League of Nations. The foregoing is tho opinion of M. Leon Bourgeois, who has an immense following throughout France. FRENCH HITLERIANS. • In tho Bight Wing, pitted against those wise counsellors, arc certain impassioned and fanatic group?. They declaimed violently during the session