INTERNATIONAL DISARMAMENT

BY MAJOR-GENERAL SIR FREDERICK MAURICE, K.C.M.G., C.B.

Director of Military Operations—­Imperial General Staff, 1915-16.

Sir Frederick Maurice said:—­This problem of the reduction of armaments is one of the most urgent of the international and national problems of the day.  It is urgent in its economic aspect, urgent also as regards its relation to the future peace of the world.  The urgency of its economic aspect was proclaimed two years ago at the Brussels conference of financiers assembled by the League of Nations.  These experts said quite plainly and definitely that, so far as they could see, the salvation of Europe from bankruptcy depended upon the immediate diminution of the crushing burden of expenditure upon arms.  That was two years ago.  Linked up with this question is the whole question of the economic reconstruction of Europe.  Linked up with it also is that deep and grave problem of reparations.  It is no longer the case to-day, if it has ever been the case since the war, which I doubt, that sober opinion in France considers it necessary for France to have large military forces in order to protect her from German aggression in the near future.  For the past two years, however, it has been the custom of those who live upon alarms to produce the German menace.  There is a great body of opinion in France at this moment which feels that unless France is able to put the pistol to Germany’s head, it will never be able to get a penny out of Germany.

You have the further connection of the attitude of America to the problem.  America said, officially through Mr. Hoover and unofficially through a number of her leading financiers, that she was not ready to come forward and take her share in the economic restoration of Europe so long as Europe is squandering its resources upon arms.  The connection is quite definitely and explicitly recognised in the Covenant of the League of Nations.  Article 8 begins:  “The principles of the League recognise that the maintenance of peace requires reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety, and the enforcement by common action of international obligations.”  These words were promulgated in 1919.  Personally, I find myself in complete agreement with what Lord Robert Cecil said this morning, and what Lord Grey said a few days ago at Newcastle, that one of the prime causes of the war was Prussian militarism.  By that I mean the influence of that tremendous military machine, which had been built up through years of labour in Germany, in moulding the public opinion of that country.

A GROUP OF NEW ARMIES