GENEVA SPLIT

Grey River Argus, 29 April 1932, Page 5

GENEVA SPLIT

BRITISH THREAT To Exceed Naval Limits OWING 10 DIFFERENCE OF VIEWS, lAux & N.Z. Cable Assn) GENEVA, April 27. A semi official pronouncement has been made in the press that Britain regards the progress at the Conference towards disarmament as disappointing ly slow. This is the sensation of thc day, especially as it is coupled with a veiled hint that Britain, in certain circumstances, might take advantage of a provision in the London Naval Treaty that would permit the construe tion of warships over and above the specified limits. This pronouncement added to the French elections has contributed to making many days fruitless. Owing to illness, the French Prime Minister, M. Tardieu, has been com-

pelled to cancel his * meeting with Mr MacDonald, Mr Stimson, Chancellor Bruening and Signor Gran di, at Geneva on Friday.

Another message states that the Bn fish Prime Minister probably will be leaving for London on Saturday. Mr Stimson (United States Secretary) has arranged to return to tho United States on Wednesday. Other judges of the situation express thc opinion that thc illness of M. Tardieu, the French Premier, is likely still further to delay progress. M. Tardieu is a very strong man, but ho has been speaking in public forty-five hours out of sixfcy, mostly in the open air. The strain has been too great for any man. Nevertheless his failure to meet Mr Stimson and Mr MacDonald on Friday is most regrettable. This failure has caused a wave of pessimism which has extended to Beilin, where the Nationalist circle* bluntly declare that M. Tardieu’s illness is a diplomatic one in order to avoid discussing with Chancellor Breuning. Germany’s claim for equality in the .matter of disarmament. Moreover Berlin expresses the opinion that M. Tardieu is unwilling to risk losing the advantages* for his election campaign, due to Herr Hitler’s electioneering. The Naval Commission of the Disarmament Conference is hopelessly split on thc question of what constitutes offensive and defensive armaments. Admiral Hepburn, of the United States, has declared that America considers tho submarine to be the only ! aggressive naval arm. Admiral Sato, on behalf of Japan, on the contrary, has attacked the aircraft carriers as being highly aggresRussia has declared that all naval | vessels are offensive weapons, while the Polish delegate, on behalf of France, argued that submarines arc strictlv defensive.