DISARMAMENT PLANS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 15, 28 October 1932, Page 5

DISARMAMENT PLANS

IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE,

UNITED STATES POSITION.

NAVY MUST BE BUILT

( United Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, Oct, 26.

Serving notice on the world that (the Government of the United States considers that reduction in land armaments is pre-requisite to further naval reductions, President Hoover to-day took occasion, in connection with the celebration of Navy Day tomorrow, to issue a statement making known the Government's attitude toward disarmament.

The speech is also regarded as another attempt to galvanise the Geneva negotiations ' into action, ■ for Mr Hoover said that the failure of those negotiations would compel the United States to build her navy to full treaty strength. "This Administration has spared no reasonable effort to bring about agreement among all the nations upon reduction of arms upon the, ratios agreed upon at the London Conference. Our patience in these negotiations has never for a moment jeopardised the safetji of the United States. These efforts are making progress, but if these efforts finally fail we will be compelled, by reason of the disturbed conditions prevailing throughout the world and the necessity for protecting American commerce, to build our navy to the full strength provided by the London Agreement, equal with that of the most powerful in the world. I need scarcely suggest the vast expenditures that would be involved by this necessity, or the blow it would deal to one of the most cherished aspirations of our people."

PROPOSAL MADE BY FRANCE. GUARANTEES OF SECURITY. PARIS, Oct. 27. TJhe establishment of international aerial police, the international control of military budgets and the manufacture of arms, and the suppression of pseudo-military police forces, are among the proposals believed to be included .in a French disarmament plan which, if adopted by the Disarmament Conference on November 3, will result probably in at least a 20 per cent, reduction in the French military estimates. This forecast is based on the report on the disarmament plan adopted at a meeting of the committee of the Radical Party. With reference to arms equality, the report says that Germany, by renouncing all intentions to re-arm, would take her normal place in the European international framework. Equality of rights is logically related to equality of security. The renunciation of internal guarantees of security must be accompanied by international guarantees. The plan envisages a consultative pact with the United States. The report is particularly severe on organisations constituting armies under the pretext of being political police, though it admits that it may be necessary to combine the regular army and the militia. '.<;'

NAVAL COMPETITION. FRANCO-GERMAN RIVALRY. -PARIS, Ocl. 27. Because Germany is building a third "pocket battleship," Cabinet has decided to proceed with the construction, of the battle cruiser Dunkerque, expenditure for which was voted by the Chamber oT Deputies last year. UNITED STATES DELEGATE. LONDON, Oct. 26. Mr Norman Davis (United States delegate to the Disarmament Conference), who has had a series of conversations with the Prime Minister and Sir John Simon (Foreign Secretary), will leave London for Geneva, on Friclay, via Paris, where he will probably discuss disarmament with the Premier (M. Herriot).