LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 18085, 28 September 1922, Page 4

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

PACIFIC PRIMGI?I.ES ADVOCATED. PLEA FOE AIR FORCE. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, GENEVA, September 27. Lord Robert Cecil, in a two-hours’ speech in presenting the disarmament report, urged all the Governments to reduce their armaments. He predicted a terrible catastrophe for States which failed to inspire pacific principles. He thought that power should be given to the League tty create an international air force. Aviation to-day was 100 per cent, superior to the old forces. Ite possibilities grew vyider daily. The League, with a sufficient air force, could restore peace should any nation break it.—A. and N.Z. Cable. Lord Robert Cecil’s speech was most impressive. He said that the Leagues statistics showed that only a fractional number of men would be required to maintain internal order in tire various States, whereas millions of men, costing hundreds of millions sterling, were required to resist aggression. He added : “ This is the price of international suspicion. This is the great obstacle to disarmament which the resolutions seek to remove by substituting a general reduction of armaments mm a mutual guarantee of safety.” Signor Scialoja (Italy) said that the chief value of the proposals was that they did not attempt too much, M. Jouvenal (France) urged that the resolutions were practicable, .and advocated beginning with limited guarantees, because a general guarantee might be indefinitely delayed.

Baron Hayashi pledged Japan’s support for the proposals. Mr Fisher similarly, on behalf of Great Britain, said that m carrying out th< League’s proposals Great Britain would be influenced by the number of Slates par. ticipatmg in the reductions and guaran ■tees. He hoped to sea the Washington Treaty extended to the non-signatory Rowers within a war.—A. Snd N.Z Cable.