The Franco-erman Tension Herr ._i , on•Papen.'s new declaration on disarmament – 7
though there is little satisfaction in having to say so-- stands scrutiny better than either the British Foreign Office statement_ M.-Heiriot's speech at Gramat last , Sunday.. Halftile French Prime Minister's remarks, as so often hatpens were obviously for home consumption and the other half meant to be read abroad. M. Herriot was far more unequivocal than Sir John Simon in his recognition of the moral duty of the Allies to disarm. He made the- most of France's heavy reductions in length of military service- and of personnel, which is reasonable enough up to a point, though Herr von Palen was justified in rejoining that the French army has simply been reorganized and mechanized; not reduced in strength. The upshot of it all is -that France wants peace beyond all things—except security. Given security in the form in which she conceives it, a settlement with Germany can be achieved to-Morrow. But it must be security based on the organization of peace as contem- plated from the first (according to M. Herriot, and he cannot be gainsaid) by the League of Nations Covenant.' * *-
