Garment Union's Educational Plans
How Denmark Is Going Ahead With Its Disarmament Plans An Interview With Lausi Tasmussen, the Danish Minister for War, Who Might More Correctly be Called the Minister for Peace. By CARL...
...Far i m i * the Danish Social Demo fret» hart had disarmament on their program, and now that they have become the Government party they hs»e not hesitated to put their ideas into the shape of bint...
...It hts been approved by all the members of the Government Meanwhile, the Danish representatives at the League of Nations Assembly in Genera Will engage in private conversations with statesmen of other countries, to learn their attitude towards the proposal...
...Denmark is no more able than Luxemburg to tackle any military tasks, and openly admitting our impotence will not put us in any worse position with relation to the world than if we keep up the semblance of defence...
...Left Liberals, 46...
...After the war, Luxemburg, although it possesses only a police force, became a mem ber of the League of Nations, with rights equal to those of other members...
...By CARL J. (Political Editor of the Danish L^ft E5KELUND Radical Newspaper, "Politiken...
...About 8 0 0 men are to be trained annually...
...These units will be armed as are our present inspection ship...
...No military armaments are needed for t h a t" * The New Force "How is this police force to be trained and armed...
...It only asked in order to test whether Denmark was hostile or not There was division of opinion as to the reply...
...Rasmussen...
...Do you think," I asked, "that Denmark's military position is differ ent now from that before the wart" Arms, A Danger "Denmark's position is different now," replied Mr...
...But, if we had not finally taken the right course, and refused we should have been drawn into the war, for the simple reason thst Germany, knowing that we possessed military armaments, wished to secure that we should not use them against her...
...Does not the League of Nations Convention oblige Denmark to keep up a certain military armament...
...The arms will be revolvers, earbines, and batons...
...Rasmussen, "because our nearest neighbor on the south, who, in 1914, was armed to the teeth, has now had its military force reduced to a minimum...
...But, when one remembers that France, rightly or wrongly, has fears that Germany still commands sufficient armed force to threaten the safety of France, with all its great forces, it is obvious that Denmark, even if it used its means of defence to the utmost, would still be powerless, even against 'disarmed' Germany, "In that sense, our position it still as in 1914...
...1914 Parallel "But," I asked, "if Denmark disarms, and then, in a war, is unable to defend its territory, will it not be in a worse position than was Belgium...
...Not at all," replied Mr...
...Conservatives, 2 8 ; Germans, -1...
...8,000 recruits are called up annually...
...The proposal," said the War Minister, "is to abolish the presen army and navy...
...Under Paragraph 16 of the Convention we are only under obligation, if a member of the League goes to war contrary to the pact at once to break all commercial and financial connections with this State, and to prevent any communication between our citizens and those of that State...
...Now Germany knew quite well that this open, stion would not be of the slightest value...
...Left Radicals, 20...
...Germany admitted that its action was not in accordance with political rights, and deposited 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 marks as security sgainst damage...
...It met the German march into the country with a political protest...
...And so, you see, our military preparedness nearly caused us to be drawn into the war...
...At the outbreak of the war our forces were completely inadequate to perform the task of defending Copenhagen...
...He it the Danish War Minister and a ssapaer of the Danish Social Dsasetrsoe Party...
...In 1914, Luxemburg declared that it was unable to defend its territory...
...I next inquired...
...lottSt...
...They will be recruited as volunteers...
...and the total expenditure is about 6 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 kroner (about $ 1 0 , 1 6 5 , 0 0 0 ) , "I suggest replacing this by police force of 7,000 men, under the Ministry of Justice, and a sea police under the Ministry of State The military ministries will be abolished...
...No," was the reply...
...At the outbreak of the war, Germany asked us if we would block the Great Belt with mines...
...I believe that the Left Radicals, too, will support them, so that there is a good hope that they will past the Folketing...
...BtMBUateS 1* U»« 1MB Wh« wiU •»»« Us* dUtitietion of bting the First War Minister to introduce to Parliament » proposal that hit countty tfcell disarm...
...The training will b wholly on police lines, aad will eecupy four and a half months...
...Further, the fact that we were even to a small extent militarily prepared was the greatest danger to which we were exposed...
...The hydroplanes will also be armed...
...The PropMStls The pr?tant disarmament proposals were presented to the Folketiag at the beginning of October...
...If we had possessed no arms, Germany would have had no interest in us...
...The Danish Socialist Government, it should be remembered, is dependent on the support of non-Socialist parties, the actual number of party representatives in the Folketing being:—Soriaitsts, 66...
...The total annual expenditure will be about 1 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 kroner ( ? 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 ) against 6 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 kroner at present, "We must, however, for the initial stage, add about 6 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 kronel for pensions and officers' half-pay, "These plans," concluded the War Minister, "represent what our party has always stood for...
...That is, they will carry guns...
...We shall alto provide mine-throwers, to a total cost of 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 kroner ( i l 1 , 0 0 0 ). "The sea polies will consist of Ave fishery inspection vessels of 8 0 0 to 1,500 tons, ont large guard-ship, three fast motor vessels for guard service, in the inner waters, and, lastly, twelve hydroplanes...
...At present we have an army, at war strength, of 8 0 , 0 00 men...
...Ratmussen has given me, in the course of a conversation, an outline of the proposal, and haa answered a number of questions to which it gives rite...
Vol. 1 • November 1924 • No. 43
