DEADLOCK AT GENEVA

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21019, 22 November 1933, Page 9

DEADLOCK AT GENEVA

* Position Thought to Have Improved ITALY TO CO-OPERATE (united vri:ss ASSOCIATION—- BY electkic TELEGRAPH —COI'I'PJOHT.) (Received November 21, 5.5 p.m.) GENEVA, November 20. The meeting of M. Joseph Avenol, j Secretary-General to the League of Nations, with representatives of the chief powers resulted in the appointment of a drafting committee to prepare a resolution for submission to the bureau of the Disarmament Conference on November 22. It is proposed that the bureau then adjourn until after the council meeting on January 10, 1934. Sir John Simon has gone to London for the opening of Parliament. Meanwhile the technical committees will continue their work and also there will be an exchange of diplomatic communications between the various capitals, including Berlin, in an attempt to straighten out the situation, which is believed to have improved. M. Joseph Paul-Boncour is satisfied with the course of the discussions. A message from Rome states that Signor Mussolini assured the French Ambassador that he does not intend to break from Geneva, though he is strongly opposed to the continuance of the disarmament conversations in the Geneva atmosphere. The Fascist Grand Council will consider Italy's relations with the League of Nations on December 5. Signor Mussolini is opposed to continuing the sessions of the Disarmament Conference. He prefers a four or six power conference, including Russia and America. SEAIiCH FOR A SOLUTION A MISUNDERSTANDING REMOVED MEETING OF BUREAU TO-DAY '.r.rrnsu OKi'iciAT. va^KLE.-rS.) RUGBY, November 20.

Efforts to lift the Disarmament Conference out of the present deadlock are being continued. Sir John Simon and Mr R. A. Eden had long conversations with Mr Arthur Henderson, M. Joseph PaulBoncour, and the Marchese de Soragta, the Italian representative, and on the president's suggestion there was a meeting at which delegates of the powers associated with Sir John Simon in the statement which he made on October 14 were present, together with Dr. E. Benes, rapporteur general of the conference.

Mr Henderson referred to the decision of the general commission in June regarding the necessity for obtaining a greater measure of common ground before proceeding to the second reading of' the British draft convention, which still remains the basis of the Geneva discussions. He reviewed the recent ellorts Jo reduce differences and after each of the representatives had stated his views the meeting was adjourned. In Geneva at least misunderstanding regarding the nature of the proposals put forward on October 14 by Sir John Simon seems definitely to have been l'cmoved.

The position was that Sir John Simon was at that time reporting upon proposals which had the approval of four powers and which iiad been made in a private conversation, but that these proposals were not put forward as a binding document, and were in fact never even initiated. New Formula Sought. "The Times" remarks. "If those proposals have failed to achieve their intended purpose it is necessary to seek others. The grave consequences, both political and economic, which must inevitably result from a breakdown are such that every means must be spent by which the conference can be kept in being while a fresh solution is sought, but there is no desire to lay down any inflexible conditions on which this should be achieved." The suggestions put forward on October 14 were not intended as a substitute for the British draft convention, but as proposals for its completion, and were susceptible of being further discussed. The opinion in British quarters is that the problem is too vital to allow questions of procedure to interfere with the search for a solution. Representatives of the chief powers at Geneva decided that a meeting of the. bureau of the Disarmament Conference should be convened for Wednesday. Efforts to reach an understanding on the best, way to remove the deadlock were begun on Saturday, and private conversations between the delegates will be continued to-mor-row.