URGENCY EMPHASISED

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 308, 23 September 1933, Page 7

URGENCY EMPHASISED

Securing of Disarmament Agreement THE PARIS DISCUSSIONS (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, September 21. The Anglo-French conversations on the draft Disarmament Convention will be resumed to-morrow following a luncheon given at the Embassy in Paris by the British Ambassador, Lord Tyrrell. Sir John Simon, the Foreign Secretary, and Captain Anthony Eden, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, will be joined by Mr. Stanley Baldwin, who is at present in the French capital. The French Government representatives will be the Premier, M. Daladier, and the Foreign Minister, M. Paul Boncour. Sir John Simon and Captain Eden, with M. Paul* Boncour, will leave for Geneva for the League Council and Assembly meetings at the conclusion of the conversation, and M. Daladier will probably travel to Geneva on Monday. It may be taken as certain that next week’s League meetings will afford an opportunity for conversations between the statesmen of the leading Powers upon disarmament. Although the Disarmament Conference does not reassemble until October 16, the facts which will then have to be faced have not been allowed to be neglected, but in the recent series of conversations and exchanges, in which Britain, France, the United States, and Italy have each, taken part, efforts have been made to straighten out many of the difficulties which were apparent when the conference adjourned in June. Events, in Europe. Although events in Europe since then have not helped this task, they have Certainly added to its importance and urgency, and this is realised very fully by the statesmen who have recently been in contact. The alternatives are a Disarmament Convention and no convention, and the consequences of failure, it is recognised, would almost Inevitably have a thoroughlj’ bad influence on European relationships. When the proceedings are resumed at the conference the British Government draft convention will continue to provide a basis of discussion. Meanwhile next week’s conversations’ will be devoted to simplifying its course by smoothing out through a preliminary understanding points which have caused or are likely to cause difficulty. Already substantial progress toward agreement has been made, although decisions upon Isolated questions are not expected or called for by individual countries, since they must of necessity be considered in relation to the whole disarmament picture. Views on Supervision. Thus the Anglo-French conversations have been, mainly concerned with eliciting the French views regarding supervision and examining the manner in which they might work in with the general proposals for a Disarmament Convention. The British draft convention provides for a period of nine months before any material should be disposed of and the newspapers consider it possible that the French views may be met by lengthening this period. It is considered desirable in British quarters that this interim period should not. be barren of all disarmament and that it should, of be accelerated when examination showed this interim period to have been satisfactorily completed. JAPANESE z ARMY Improvement of Equipment (Received September 22, 11.45 p.m.) Toltio, September 22. The War Office denies any Intention to recreate four divisions, but States that it proposes to improve equipment and increase mechanisation efficiency, especially in view of its obligations in the defence of Manchukuo. ANTI-WAR DELEGATION Shanghai, September 21. After waiting several weeks and failing to secure permission to hold a conference in Shanghai or any other part of China, Ithe anti-war group, headed by Lord Marley, is now awaiting instructions from Paris in regard to future movements. Apparently there Is no alternative but to return home. Lord Marley, however, avers that he will bold a conference in the Far East, even though it means proceeding to sea, hinting that. Madame Sun Yat Sen has been offered a vessel for this purpose. ___________