STILL CLOUDED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 242, 13 October 1933, Page 7

STILL CLOUDED.

ARMS OUTLOOK.

GERMAN POSITION. France, Britain and U.S. Agreed On No Rearmament. EFFORT TO FORCE DECISION. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, October 12. Although the conversations between the leading delegates are continuing at Geneva, there is no longer any likelihood of a postponement of the General Commission of the Disarmament Conference, which will meet on Monday next. This view is strongly supported by the British Government. It is understood that the conversations have revealed that it is fully shared by France and America, who arc equally determined to push ahead with the work of the conference. It is understood that there is general agreement between British, French and United States delegates that there must be no German rearmament, in the broad sense of the term. • "The Times" Geneva correspondent says that this would not exclude a certain measure of reorganisation of German armaments in the process of adapting them to the requirements of a short service army of 200,000 men, which would be quite different from these of the present Reichswehr. The Geneva correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" states that the British Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, thinks a two years' probationary period, would be sufficient to embody in the proposed disarmament convention. Solution Still Doubtful. A Press Association cable states that a solution of the disarmament situation is doubtful even by October 16, when it is understood that Britain, France and America will present a resolution originally intended for discussion on October 14, founded on the recent Paris disarmament conversations. This would have reaffirmed the principle of general disarmament and control of armaments with no rearmament and would have crystallised the situation because 'Germany must either accept or reject it, but Mr. Norman Davis (U.S.A.) urged the advisability of securing Germany's adherence before presenting the resolution.

It was therefore handed to Herr Xadolny, who may fly to Berlin for instructions. It is feared that these will be negative. NEW ARMAMENT RACE. NOTED JAPANESE FEARS. TOKYO, October 12. Mr. Wakatsuki, formerly Prime Minister of Japan, declared to-day that a failure of the Naval Conference in 1035 would precipitate a new armament race between Japan and the United States, which would be disastrous for Japan.