DISARMAMENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 195, 31 May 1934, Page 5

DISARMAMENTS.

THE PROBLEM .OF SECURITY. THREE POINTS FOB STUDY. (United Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, May 29. The General Commission of the Disarmament Conference met at Geneva to-day, after an adjournment of over seven months. The president (Mr Arthur Henderson), in his opening speech, said tha,ti the duty of the Conference was to carry its work .$o a successful end, and he asked for the collaboration of all. He expressed the view; that the following points should be studied: Firstly, to reach an agreement on. land armaments in which resided a guarantee for the national security of every nation. 'The recent exchange of Notes between the various Governments had shown that the problem of security was at the root of the whole situation.

Secondly, the danger of an increase in air forces, as there was no way of defence against air attacks. Thirdly, it was most urgent to reach an agreement on the traffic in arms and to take steps to protect the State which' was the victim of aggression.

'The United States delegate (Mr Norman Davis) said that the policy of his Government would be directed toward either an arms truce or rearmament. In regard to naval armament, although America had felt it necessary to build up to approximately the Treaty limits, largely in. replacement of ships, she was none the less Willing to join other interested Powers in a substantial proportionate reduction in naval tonnage; Mr Davis said no nation could wfsh to take the responsibility for failure of the Disarmament Conference or to face the consequences of such a failure. He thought it best to go back to the decision of July 8, ■ 1933, when the British Draft Convention had been accepted by All nations, including Germany, as a basis of a future Convention. If Germany desired a disarmament convention—which surely must be the casehe could not easily believe that she would not be.willing to resume negotiations on the basis to which she had previously agreed; M. Litvinoff (Russia) proposed the transformation of the Conference into a "permanent and regularly assembling conference of peace," to work out and perfect measures of security. The Conference adjourned until tomorrow.—British Official Wireless.