NATIONAL ARMAMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 21723, 18 May 1934, Page 6

NATIONAL ARMAMENTS

PROBLEM OF REDUCTION

LIMITED CONVENTION URGED

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright

LONDON, May 17,

‘ The Times ’ suggests that as the larger disarmament project has failed a simpler beginning might be made in Europe by a treaty among Continental nations and Great Britain not to bombard each other’s territory from the air. The question of the abolition of bombing aeroplanes could be left in abeyance, but something at least will have been done to tranquilise exaggerated fears and check the increase in bombing machines which is everywhere threatened. A short convention might also arrest competitive building in large aggressive weapons of land warfare. While the establishment of an international supervisory commission to inspect national armaments would be an important step towards creating commonsense responsibility it should still be possible on humble beginnings to build a system regulated to reduce armaments. The * Daily Telegraph ’ also urges a limited convention, if only to deal with such matters as the renunciation of chemical warfare.

BELGIAN FOREIGN SECRETARY

CONVERSATIONS IN LONDON.

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, May 17, (Received May 18, at 1.40 p.m.)

Mr Ramsay MacDonald, before leaving for Lossiemouth this morning, conversed for about half an hour with the Belgian Foreign Secretary (M. Hymans), who called on.him accompanied by the Belgian Anibassador. Sir John Simon and M. Hymans discussed the present position and the prospects of the Disarmament Conference. They also lunched together at the Belgian Embassy. As Belgium is not now represented on the League Council, M. Hymans did not go to Geneva this week, and was therefore free to have a discussion with Sir John Simon, who was prevented from fulfilling his intention to attend the present meeting of the Council by the desire of the Opposition to have a House of Commons debate on foreign affairs to-morrow. Both Ministers go to Geneva for a meeting of the General Disarmament Commission at the end of the month.