A NEW CONFLICT.

Grey River Argus, 29 April 1929, Page 5

A NEW CONFLICT.

AT GENEVA. Over Military Reservists. (Australian & N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Received April 28, at 5.5 p.m.) GENEVA, April 27. The Preparatory Disarmament Com mission is laced with a new conflict of viewpoints.' Count Be-; ns l orff has asked lor leave to consider ovrrnigUi Mr Gibson's new concession from America of not insisting on the inclusion of trained reserves in the peace time effective forces. The United States’ delegate in this regard made an important statement on the military question when lu pointed out that United States had always maintained trainl <1 reserves should be included in peace tune armaments. Up urged delegates to make all pos sible concessions and freely place their cards on.the table, not to adopt a spirit of bargaining which would lead to months of negotiations. M. Mussioli (Fancc) approved Mr Gibson’s view, and said that France was ready to comply by placing her curds on the tabl Viscount Sato said that Japan was icady to make all possible concessions.

Count Bernstorff (Gorman Dele gate) to-day insisted that trained reservists wore of prfynary int rest to Germany. Ho was sure 'hat a method could be discovered whereby they could be taken into account if everybody made concession; whereas otherwise, important, elements employable in war time would be ignored Germany was unable to maintain reservists under the conditions impos'd on her. She wa? willing to abandon her insistence on the abolition of conscription, out shn must insist that the resemus should be estimated, not numerically, bit on tho basis of their value. Mr Gibson (U.S.A.) in reference to the wishes of a majority of the cor tinental Powers, announced that would not insist on tin* United States reservation favouring the inclusion of the reservists wore eventually found to be impossible, the Dutch delegation must ask leave to withdraw'. Therefore he was gUd that U’-e present comimitteiUs decision was »ot final.

M Litvinoff (Russia) also expressed his regret at the exclusion, and said that his Government would accept any agreement for a reduction in all ox the categories of armaments, active or reserve, conditionally on the same reduction being applicable in a similar degree to other countries. The Confer.*nc“. lie rand, by open’7 -m!nutting the cxclfsiou of the trained reserves, would not be able to solve the disarmament problem. Lord Cushendun (Britain) was of the opinion that the Commit t’c should include tho trained reserves in the figures, but he was prepared ,in the intercut of the “uec. »s of the Com mittee’s work to ag'reo to the views of the Majority. Any other course would be fatal. Count Bernstorff’s suggestion ho said. ,would be impracticable!. There was no conscription in Britain. Th’ Chinese delegate (delivered u long address, urging the committee Ito expedition. He declared that no real disa'imament was possible under I conscription. He urgej t-hc suppression of conscription. The Commission is not expected to accept thlp. The commission adopted a French amendment elaborating the original convention and enabling tho signatories to indicate separately fh> number of aeroplanes, dirigibles, aircraft carriers at Home or overplus, also the number of aeroplanes organised for military liases at Home and abroad. The British and Japanese delegations have n’ceived instructions to ensure that a special effort be made at the present session to agree Io futuie Naval Disarmament Conferl"nce, probably at Washington in 1930.