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faced when such a Conference was held.
The experience of the Disarmament Conference
forces the realisation of how great are the diffiulties
in attempting to find bases upon which a reduction or limita-
tion of national Armies, Navies and Air Forces can be
brought about.
Even if a temporary basis for adjustment could be
found how far could we rely upon nations observing their
undertakings and in the event of their not doing so, how
would it be contemplated they should be forced to honour
their obligations.. The idea of sanctions, either economic
or military, must be discarded in the light of the
experience with regard to the provisions of the Covenant
of the League of Nations.
In considering this question internal politics
cannot be ignored. Is it not inevitable that in
individnal countries political parties would spring up
maintaining that the rights of the country had been
sacrificed by the Government and demanding a reconsider-
ation of the Disarmament Agreement.
An even greater danger is that unless present in-
dications are wholly misleading, we shall encounter,
after the war, in the more advanced countries, as in
1922-1950, a strong pacifist movement. Democratic
Governments will probably be affected and will reduce
armaments below the safety level. In less advanced
countries pacifist pressure will be resisted and once
again we shall find the advanced Democracies in a posi-
tion of relative weakness.
These