PEACE TREATIES.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19363, 16 July 1928, Page 9

PEACE TREATIES.

DISARMAMENT CLAUSES.

FOREIGN SECRETARY'S REPORT

(annas oßiau wnaxMMa.) (Received July loth, 5.5 p.m.) • RUGBY, July 14. A statement on the presopt position regarding the execution of disarmament clauses in peace treaties vrnts made to-day by the Foreign Secretary. Sir Austen Chamberlain.

In reply to a Parliamentary question, he said that the inter-Allied Commissions of Control, which had been set up in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Bulgaria respectively, had now all been withdrawn because they had accomplished their task t<> an extent which the ex-Allied Governments considered, on the whole, satisfactory and adequate. In the case of all these countries except Austria, the, final detailed reports which the Commission of Control drew up on the termination of their mission had been communicated to the League Council who, on the withdrawal of the Commissions, became, under peac<> treaties, responsible for the investigating of any subsequent breach of disarmament clauses.

As regards Austria, tho Commiemission's final report had not yet been presented to the League Council, because there were certain outstanding points regarding tho conversion ot munition factories to industrial uses, which were still subject to negotiations between the ex-Allied Governments and the Austrian Government. As regards Hungary, in communicnting the Commission's final report to the League Council the ex-Allied Governments drew its attention to certain reservations expressed by the Conv mission regarding the application - of recruiting laws in Hungary. As regards Bulgaria, iu communicating the Commission's final report to the League Council, the ex-Allied Governments drew its attention to the irequency of non-execution or transgression of new military laws regarding recruiting and army organisation, although the laws themselves, if loyally observed, were such as to assure a satisfactory application of treaty stipulations. The attention of . ttte Council was also drawn to the fact that the Bulgarian Government had not yet fulfilled its undertaking to revise article 71 of the Constitution, which asserts the principle of universal military service, which is incompatible with the • stipulations of the peace treaties. i

As regards Germany, an agreement was reached at Geneva in December, 1926, between the ex-Allied Governments and the Germany Government, whereby after the withdrawal' of the Commission of Control, certain experts were attached to the diplomatic mission of the ex-Allied Governments at Berlin, with • a view to reaching au agreement with the German authorities as to the final execution of certain points which, at the date of withdrawal of the Commission of could not yet be regarded as having been completely carried out. Considerable progress had been made in settlement of these outstanding points, which concern, among,other things, reorganisation of the police and the alteration of military establishments.