The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1933. ARMAMENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 21509, 6 September 1933, Page 6

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1933. ARMAMENTS.

The position in regard to disarmament

appears to be nearly hopeless. The World Disarmament Conference meets again at Geneva in October, and this may be regarded as a last effort to move international opinion. Towards the end of August it was no secret that the British delegates were at the last stages of pessimism, and what has happened in the interval is not calculated to assuage that feeling. Germany daily displays a more belligerent nationalism; France is becoming distinctly more suspicious; Japan, outside the League of Nations, is understood to be ignoring the naval pact; and America is engaged on a new naval programme. Britain, most pacific of nations, is being forced to consider her position, especially on the seas. Her League of Nations Union has been campaigning in favour of consideration of certain proposals being considered at Geneva. To placate Germany it is suggested that every country shall discard all weapons, including military aeroplanes, forbidden to Germany, and that an independent disarmament commission shall supervise manufacture and trade in arms, also civil aviation, economic sanctions to be employed against any transgressing State. Unhappily nations are not disposed to consider such proposals, and, even if they were to give lip service, there would be no guarantee whatever of anything more. As in the economic morass, what is chiefly wrong is lack of confidence. National destitution on the big scale now seems to be breeding a spirit of violence and bringing the possibility of national hostilities nearer.

Japan’s naval manoeuvres were palpably intended as a demonstration of her mastery of the Pacific, America’s response is the building of thirty-seven warships at a cost of £47,000,000. Britain, once mistress of the seas, and with preponderating interests in the Pacific, cannot afford merely to look on. The Admiralty has prepared a supplementary naval programme bringing British naval strength nearer to the limit allowed by the last agreement. The position, in fact, is that Britain is free to build what ships she pleases provided they are not actually completed by January 1, 1937. Immediately prior to that date the British Fleet will consist of 12 battleships, 3 battle cruisers, 50 cruisers* 110 destroy-

ers, and 41 submarines; but of these 3 battle cruisers, 17 cruisers, 45 destroyers, and 1 submarine will be obsolete. On replacement of this obsolescent cruiser tonnage British dockyards are now engaged, and it now appears to be the intention to enlarge the programme. One reason given is that it is part of the Government’s programme of reproductive public works to relieve unemployment. There may appear to be some contradiction of terms in the explanation. Engines of destruction, expensive to build and maintain in commission, have not hitherto been classed as reproductive work. But the trend of events shows them to bo a real necessity. The armaments race has been resumed in earnest, and Britain has by no means got the best of the start. It entails a heavy burden on taxpayers even in prosperous times, and how it is to be supported during emergence from the most severe and widespread industrial depression in history cannot readily be envisaged. Modern warships are immensely more costly than those of the pre-war or even the war period, due to the im mense tonnage and high speed of the larger types, though it must be conceded that the outstanding maritime need of the British Empire is recognised as a large number of 6in gun ships of moderate speed and size, rather than a few “mastodons” and “greyhounds ” of enormous cost.

Aviation is a science whose development has been largely identified with militarism. Erance, after perfecting the land defences of her German frontier, is now more immediately concerned over her vulnerability from tho air. “ The almost immediate aerial menace ” is how danger from that quarter is described by her. Efforts have been made internationally to proscribe bombing from the air. Spain proposed the total abolition of all military and naval aviation. This looks impossible of acceptance, and if accepted would not be observed by any belligerent under stress. A dozen States, among whom are Britain and Japan, are opposed to the prohibition of naval bombing, which Britain wishes to retain for “police purposes,” while Japan wants to use it in any circumstances. Thus it can be seen that disarmament, though a fine ideal, is very far from realisation. Preoccupation on other matters has caused New Zealand to shelve the question of national defence. It would be imprudent to continue that policy longer.