LIMITING ARMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 49, 28 February 1927, Page 7

LIMITING ARMS.

GENEVA CONFERENCE. America Accepts Invitation to Attend. MILD SURPRISE. (By Cable.—Copyright.—Press Association.}' GENEVA, February 27. The United States has unexpectedly notified the League of its acceptance of an invitation to participate in tha conference on March 14 for the purpose of drawing up a draft Convention concerning the private manufacture of small arms. The Note stresses that America considers the conference as purely a means of obtaining the fullest publicity and statistics regarding both the private and [ Governmental manufacture of war j materials. A message from Washington says it is understood that the United States will not agree to any form of international control of the manufacture of arms in America. DOMINIONS DISAGREE. WAY OUT SUGGESTED. (Received 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 27. The Press Association understands that the British feply to President Coolidge's proposals will be presented to Washington to-morrow. Sir Austen Chamberlain will also maka a statement in the House of Commons. The "Daily Herald's" diplomatic correspondent states that the Dominions' replies are almost unanimously unfavourable to any limitation of Britain' 3 cruiser strength. Canada alone considered ilr. Coolidge's lan sympathetically, but Britain does not desire to embarrass Mr. Coolidge by a negative reply, and will try to obtain the Dominions' assent to a conference between Britain, the United States and Japan, with an agenda carefully limited in order to exclude the possibility of a reduction of the present cruiser strength.VATICAN AND LEAGUE. PARIS, February 27. There is a possibility of the Vatican joining the League of Nations. It is freely rumoured that the Papal Nuncio conferred with M. Briand yesterday, and it is believed this was tha subject discussed.