RESENTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 224, 21 September 1932, Page 7

RESENTED.

BRITISH NOTE.

Criticism of German Equality Claim. AMERICA STANDS ALOOF. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 12 noon.) LONDON, September 20. A message from Washington states that President Hoover has issued a statement saying that the United States was divorced from what he termed the "German arms question," but he said the United States was anxious that Germany shall continue to participate in the Arms Conference.

The Berlin correspondent of "Tho Times" says the British statement on the German demand for armaments equality has been received wifeh surprise and resentment because such a sharp criticism concerning the unwisdom of Germany's efforts and such an uncompromising refutation of Germany's legal arguments were nowhere expected.

The resentment arises because of the suggestion that Germany's action might hinder "the smooth and harmonious work of the Disarmament Conference." This, it is claimed, is English hypocrisy at its worst.

But the masterly drafting of the British statement is ruefully realised by official Germany, and the disillusionment and disappointment among a large body of German opinion over the British attitude is comparable only to the astonishment over the British declaration of war in 1014. So moderate a journal as the "Deutsche Allegemeine Zeitung" declares: "The British Note is framed in a, school-masterly, ironic tone which, is quite intolerable. It will completely destroy Germany's last belief in Britain's good will." ' The president of the Disarmament Conference, Mr. Arthur Henderson, contributes a special article to the "NewsChronicle" in which he emphasises the crucial nature of Germany's claim to equal military status. He says the onlyway to ease the situation is by a frank declaration that the Powers will redeem their obligations under the Treaty of Versailles. POLITICAL GESTURE. HUGHES AND GERMAN CLAIM. (Received 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 20. Mr. W. M. Hughes, commenting on Germany's armaments demand, said that it should not be taken too' seriously. Probably it was a political gesture for home consumption. At the samo time lie approved the British reply. The demand for equality of armed forces

placed the League in an impossible position. If Germany's demand was conceded it would destroy the foundations of the Versailles Treaty, bringing the League down and rendering all its provisions mere scraps of paper, including those relating to the New Guinea mandates which would be fatal to Australia. The suggestion that all the nations should reduoe armaments to the present German level, as Germany was well aware, would not bo entertained by France.