DISARMAMENT PLANS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 131, 15 March 1933, Page 6

DISARMAMENT PLANS

FRENCH EXPRESS DOUBTS. MR MACDONALD CRITICISED. NOTHING USEFUL FOR PEACE. (United Press Association—Copyright). (Received This Day, 1.10 p.m.) , PARIS, March 14. Likening the Disarmament Conference to a casino in which every nation was playing a game for the maintenance of political prestige, M. Henri Berenger (chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate) warns France and Britain to hold on to decisive forces, otherwise there will be no way of escaping a conflagration. M. Berenger expresses the opinion that Mr MacDonald and M. Boncour "can achieve nothing useful for peace at the Geneva Disarmament Conference, which is a hybrid daughter of Americanism and the League of Nations, at last forced to unveil its original sins. The newspapers criticise Mr MacDonald, some describing him as a gobetween in the efforts of Germany and Italy to blackmail France. They reiterate that in the face of a united, passionate Germany it will be impossible to reduce the only force in Europe capable of making an aggressor think twice. All the papers agree that disarmament is definitely doomed. GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING. , POSTPONEMENT TILL TUESDAY. (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, March 14. The meeting of the General Committee of the Disarmament Conference has been postponed until Tuesday, to enable the sub-committees and certain Assembly Committees to make more rapid progress.—British Official Wireless. BRITISH DELEGATE'S VIEW. (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) GENEVA, March 14. Baron Aloysi (Italy) called on Mr MacDonald, but left to converse with Rome, returning later. Mr MacDonald also saw M. Naldolny. Mr MacDonald is believed to be contemplating a definite convention as wide and concrete as possible. A British spokesman declared that the adjournment of the Disarmament Conference is useless, in view of the present temper of Europe, which is visibly degenerating. CONVERSATIONS AT GENEVA. LONDON, March 14. The day at Geneva has been one of diplomatic conversations, with the outcome of which the achievement of positive results by the Disarmament Conference is closely concerned. Sir John Simon had a long interview with the Polish Foreign Minister, principally with reference to the situation at Danzig. ' BRITAIN AND ITALY. LONDON, March 14. The Rome correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" has been officially informed that no proposal has reached there for a meeting between Signor Mussolini and Mr MacDonald, but the former is Avilling to fix a date.