10 MARCH 1944, Page 13

PEACE PRESERVATION

gt,-I saw a letter in your issue of February 25th under the heading "Disarming Germany" by Mr. A. G. Bateman, in which he suggests t Germany must be deprived of a motor industry, as well as ordnance d aircraft and scientific instrument manufacture. I do not believe that e can be preserved by disarming the enemy and preventing them m having industries that can be used for Warlike purposes. All the scoveries of science have been used for purposes of war as well as for ceful objects. It would be impossible to stop armament production these lines and leave Germany in a position to maintain the industrial fe necessary to support her people.

It must be borne in mind that Japan must equally be subjected to an y of inspectors for the same purpose. Disarmament and the preven- con of rearmament was tried after 1918 and failed. In my opinion this Ore elaborate policy would also fail, and it would deserve to fail, as dustrial efficiency and a high standard of living in all countries is in C interest of the prosperity of each, as well as of their peace and security.

Mr. Lionel Curtis, in the introduction to his book Decision and Action, p. 16, says "The safety of free systems is always to look to their own strength and not to measures for weakening their enemies." I suggest that when this war in the West and the East is won the United Nations should place the business of preserving peace in the hands of an Allied General Council empowered to decide the Forces required and by which power the Forces can be most effectively supplied. The United Forces of the Peace Preserving Powers should be directed by a combined General Staff.

Geographic and Economic considerations would seem to indicate that, as Russia and China are on the main world land mass of Asia and Europe, and respectively face Germany and Japan, they should contribute the largest land armed forces as they would operate from home bases ; and that the United States and Great Britain should supply the largest Naval and Air Forces. To operate these a complete network of Naval and Air Bases, world wide and controlling especially all Ocean and Sea Junctions (including Black Sea—North Sea), would be required, available to the United Nations only. A Rail, Air and Road Route connecting China with the Eastern Mediterranean would also be of great strategic importance and should be constructed by labour and material supplied by Germany and Japan as War Reparation to the United Nations.

The nations united for the preservation of peace must also control all natural sources of oil and rubber supply and allow Germany and Japan only such quantities as are necessary for their peace-time requirements for industrial and domestic purposes, allowing for their home production of substitutes. If such a plan is adopted, I hold that even if the aggressor nations decide to rearm, they would find it difficult or impossible to use their armaments.

The war has got to be won first, and that will not be lay embarrassing governments responsible for carrying it on by party political manoeuvres and by people suspending production of war material, or its transport, rather than share with the men who are fighting a reduction in their peace-time standard of comfort. No plan for United Action to Preserve Peace would succeed unless the people composing the United Nations are animated by the desire to help their fellow men, the stronger nations securing the safety of the weaker as expressed in Clause VI of the Atlantic

Charter.—Yours faithfully, BASIL PETO. Gatehouse, Hord, Bradford-on-Avon, Wilts.