DISARMAMENT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 9876, 25 July 1923, Page 5

DISARMAMENT

THE NEED AND THE RISK.

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS.

“ A LEAD TO THE WORLD. fPer Press Association, Copyright). LONDON* July 23. The House of Commons continued the debate on the motion of Mr Ramsay MacDonald (Labour leader of the OffWsition) deploring the enormous *ad growing expenditure on military preparations, and urging the GrCVSln»ent to take immediate steps to call -*n international conference to consider a programme of national safeay, phased on the policy that by disarmaalone could the peace and liberty of'both small and large nations be •Cocurcd. Major the -Right Hon. H. O’Neill '(Conservative, Antrim), moved an amendment that the Government at the earliest opportunity should use its influence, both through the League of Nations and otherwise, to prevent a recurrence -of international competition in armaments, and bring about a general limitation of armaments. The Hon. H. H. Asquith (Liberal, Paisley), regretted the amendment because he thought it was of the utmost importance .at a time like this that the House of Commons should present an absolutely united front and give a firm lead to the rest of the world m a protest against -the growth of armaments. It was impossible to exaggerate the gravity of the situation. He appealed to the Government to stay its hand in the matter of Singapore. Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary of State for the Air declared that the Government was doing its utmost to explore openings toward a reductidfe of arma- ’ Prime 3Hnister, Mr Baldwin, in Hosing the debate, said the feeling of all quarters -of the House was deep and sincere regarding the evils which ’were to be combated. It was noteworthy that since .peace had been signed strong local feelings in favour of nationalism were arising in different places, which might bear the seeds of much futuie peril to Europe, but there was also a feling in the hearts of millions of people that whatever had. been the result of the war, if civilisation was do be saved it behoved all people to jom| together -to do what was possible to preserve it. The Government believed) that any attempt at this moment to convene an international conference would lead to the indefinite postpone- ] ment of any possibility of achieving the end that, all desired Before any) good could be done the reparation question and the security of frontiers must be settled. Meanwhile the Government would examine sympatheti cally any proposals from the League of 18 motion was defeated by 296 yotes to 169-