ISSUES OF PEACE AND WAR

Evening Star, Issue 21722, 17 May 1934, Page 9

ISSUES OF PEACE AND WAR

SIR JOHN SIMON ON DISARMAMENT STILL HOPING FOR AGREEMENT (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. RUGBY, May, 16. (Received May 17, at noon.) Sir John Simon, addressing the federation of Women’s Institutes in London, described it fis very distressing and serious that no international agreement on • disarmament was yet reached. Ho shared the keen disappointment so widely felt, but he did not share the view that because two years had passed without achieving agreement therefore the whole enterprise was hopeless and should be abandoned. Remarking that he hoped to attend the next meeting of the conference, Sir John Simon stated: “ Speaking on behalf of the Government, I may say that we shall do the very best that can be done to bring agreement about. I shall go to Geneva full of confidence, because I am profoundly convinced that the hearts and hopes of the British people arc most deeply pledged on this issue. There will be no effort too great or persuasion that could be superfluous for the purpose of bringing about agreement. If agreement is not reached the League is going to suffer a severe blow. The British policy stands for the support and maintenance of the League. To substitute for this new world method of international co-operation the old world methods of one country arming itself against another will not do.” Sir John Simon said that while he believed that valuable results would follow if the general level of armaments was reduced, the real difficulty which faced the conference was not the technical question as to how many arms of a particular kind a particular nation should have. Armaments were only an indication of the disease of fear, and unless something could be done to strike at the roots of this terrible disease the best technical experts in the world would not be able to produce an agreement for international disarmament. MR HENDERSON GARRIES OH Mr Henderson to-day denied the report that ho had resigned the presidency of tho Disarmament Conference. Ho said he was making the necessary arrangements for the work to be resumed on the 29th instant, and was determined to do everything in his power to influence the conference and carry' through its original task. RUMOUR OF ADJOURNMENT DENIED GENEVA, May 16. (Received May 17, at 1 p.m.) M. Barthou and other leaders emphatically’ denied the rumour that the Disarmament Conference has been adjourned sine die. No decision regarding its fate can be taken before the bureau meets. M. Barthou told journalists that be wanted a convention, and still hoped that something could be done.

WORLD DESIRE FOR PEACE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY’S MANIFESTO. LONDON, May 16. (Received filay 17, at 12.15 p.m.) The Archbishop of Canterbury (filost Rev. Cosmo Lang), impressed with the gravity of the international situation, lias issued a manifesto emphasising the world-wide longing for peace, and pointing out that this was frustrated by national fear and suspicion. The world needed a sense of security, with which the present scale of armaments was incompatible. Failure of the Disarmament Conference would inexcusably betray the hopes of multitudes. The price of security was tho willingness to accept collective action by the nations as members of one commonwealth, failing which civilisation would be imperilled.