GERMANY AND GENEVA
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Stn,—May I be allowed to point out that your attribution of the deadlock in Geneva to Germany strikes a neutral observer as such a strange interpretation of reality as to come dangerously near propaganda ? You completely ignore the fact that Germany is practically disarmed and that the promise of the great powers to do likewise has not been kept. Even assuming, which is a large assumption, that the Nazi and kindred formations should be ranked as properly trained soldiers and added to the 100,000 regulars, Germany still remains totally defenceless against the gigantic masses Of heavy guns, tanks, airplanes, submarines, dreadnoughts which can be brought to.bear upon her at an hour's notice, and which have been accumulating along.-almost - all her
completely open frontiers for the last years, long beforz! Hitler came to power, and therefore in spite of all talk tl) the contrary, not caused by the emergence of a Germany controlled by a young and over-zealous party. Everyone with an ounce of military knowledge is aware that fuer,: man-power, however numerous, heroic, or well led can 1)2 crushed to lifeless pulp by the steam-roller of modern arma- ments. What she demands at Geneva, and to every fair- minded person has not only the right but the duty to demand, is security. At present she has none, even if she were to dress up every man, woman and child in Nazi uniforms and train them to march about. singing patriotic hymns and waving swastika banners. This, apart frOm interior spring cleanings, is all the bulk of the Nazi youth is doing or is able to do.—I am, Sir, &e., A. MENTHE. 8 Hohen Str., Potsdam, Germany.
[The deadlock at Geneva is due to Germany's proposal to cut- out of- the British Disarmament Plan its most essential feature—the standardization of European armies on a short- service basis. The best security for Germany and everyone else is the general confidence that the conclusion of a real Disarmament Convention would create. At this juncture Germany's attitude is the main obstacle to such a development. —En. The Spectator.]
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