THOROUGH DISARMAMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 January 1942, Page 4

THOROUGH DISARMAMENT

* LESSONS TO BE LEARNED. FROM MISTAKES AFTER LAST WAR. When Germany was disarmed in the last Great War only her guns, shins, aeroplanes, etc., were destroyed. Her machine tools and war factories were left intact, and the “Financial News” suggests that quick rearmament by Germany was comparatively easy and must be prevented next time. It says: One of the most important clauses of the Atlantic Charter is that which provides for the disarmament of aggressor nations after their defeat. It is essential, however, that the meaning of the term “disarmament” should be sharply defined, even at this stage. It must be made plain that the shortsighted application of the term after the last war will not be repeated. In the vocabulary of the statesmen ©f Versailles, “disarmament” meant simply the surrender’ of the bulk of the arms which the defeated enemy possessed; the dismantling of fortifications; and an undertaking not to manufacture certain types of arms beyond a certain quantity. No provisions'whatever were made to prevent Germany from rebuilding her vast arms industries under the guise of production for peace requirements after Versailles. The major part of the plants of the vast Krupp works and other arms factories remained. Germany was allowed to retain and develop a unique machine tool industry, which enabled her to equip scores of arms factories in record time. As is well known, factory buildings, power plants and other capital factors can be used for manifold requirements. Only machine tools must be specialised for a particular line of production. A. country which can produce machine tools at a rapid pace can build arms works in a very brief space of time.