ARMS PROPOSALS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 149, 20 March 1933, Page 9

ARMS PROPOSALS

European Reactions to MacDonald Plan FRANCE AND GERMANY Berlin, March 17. . The disarmament plan of the British Prime Minister, Mr. J. Ramsay MacDonald, is coolly received by the Press here, which sees no signs of German arms equality in it. It is pointed out that other nations are permitted tanks and military aircraft, but not Germany, whose navy must remain small, Moreover, while Germany’s army is fixed at 200,000, France, Czecho-Slovakia, Belgium, and Poland together total 775,000. The “Lokal Anzeiger” regards the plan as earnest, but unacceptable, adding that the German delegates will continue to insist on equality in arms. FRENCH OPINIONS No Provision for Penalties Paris, March 17. Mr. MacDonald’s disarmament plan is the main topic of conversation in the lobbies of the Chamber of Deputies. The chief criticism is that it does not provide penalties against an aggressor nation, and that it also takes no account of the Fascist militia in Italy or the Nazi organisations in Germany, which the French consider military forces. The plan has had a mixed reception from the newspapers, which generally praise bis goodwill, but unanimously regard the guarantees of security as insufficient, while the Right ' Wing papers are mostly hostile. “Pertinax” in the “Echo de Paris” says that the plan destroys the French Army and alters the balance of power in Europe. “Le Journal” says that the plan contains sufficient favourable elements to serve as a basis, but many provisions must be revised. The “Ere Novelle” says: “The scheme asks us for too much and offers too little.”

ARMS EMBARGO United States Discussions Washington, March 17. The chairman, Mr. Mcßeynolds, said he would open hearings before . the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House on Tuesday on the proposal of the Administration to authorise the President to place an embargo on the shipment of arms and munitions to any countrv in the world.