DISARMAMENT [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sra,—In your issue
of May 25th we read, "No one who prides himself on common sense will dispute the contention that the Direct or Technical niethod 'of disarmament—in isolation:-:-must lead, as it has done now, to a blind alley." Admitting that that statement is true', it does not follow that the Direct or Technical method is useless or that it Must be given up. The Direct method must be employed, but it will not—in isolation—yield positive success.
In war many different means are employed to attain success. Direct frontal attack is one, but only one of them. Many other forms of attack must be employed at the same time. The enemy's power of resistance must be weakened and his means of resisting the frontal attack must be dis- persed. His supplies must be cut off, the morale of his people weakened, subsidiary operations undertaken. &c., by means of which his resistance to the frontal attack will eventually yield. It is much the same as regards success in peace.
The Disarmament Conferences are the frontal attack. They will not succeed in isolation, but they must be per- sistently continued. Meanwhile we must steadily persevere with all the subsidiary and indirect methods of attack, such as educating public opinion, promoting international co- operation, building Up a peaceful world mentality, until the resistance of the defending forces is so weakened that the success of the frontal attack is assured.—! am, Sir, &c., J. D. ALLEN, [We are entirely in agreement with our correspondent that the technical Disarmament Conferences under the auspices of the League must continue, and it was only through lack of space that we failed to make this clear. Undoubtedly they serve a useful purpose in the mutual education of the statesmen and experts who take part in them. But Admiral Allen will agree no doubt that the problem is fundamentally a political —or, if you like, a psychological—is.sue, and mistimed or feckless conferences have a way of creating more bad blood between the nations and so aggravating the main difficulty. —En. Spectator.]
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