GENEVA FAILURE?

Grey River Argus, 6 December 1932, Page 5

GENEVA FAILURE?

ARMAMENT CUT Becoming Less Likely (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 4. Important private conversations begau at Geneva to-day. Air R. AlacDonald ami Sir John Simon called on the French Premier, who will also sec Air Norman Davis, the American delegate. Herr Von Neurath, the German For--1 eign Minister, reaches Geneva on AlonI day. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Received December sal JI.JU p.m.) LONDON. December 5. The “Daily Herald” says: “An attempt io close down the Disarmament Conference and to hand the business over to a l ermanent Commission, is gathering strength at Geneva. Such an art is a vonfessiou of failure. The present achievements of the Disarmament Conference are little more than an amplification and all extension of the old Hague Convention. These do nothing to make war less probable, or to remove the swollen aiiuaments. To throw up the sponge now would be a piece oi i 111 ole ruble pol t ruonery. ’ ’ GENEVA, December 1. Air AlacDonald and AL Hviriot met al a social gnthe:ing Politics were not <|isi ussed. but Mr Norman Davis is -ti' iively pushing the American pn> posahs tantamount jo the adjournment of th“ Disarmament Con’-ercnce. lb- suggests that, a statement of p'iiiripjcs on which ;c c.ord is reached, iiu liiding ih,. abolition <>f eheiniral and baderiol"gi(--i I vaifare, limitat ion of end tool.-, .-in.| prohibition of I'ciinl bombardment "I d' f 'licelcss lor. ;i-. should be : i ;::r<| before DCU''ni' bi r 15, a'.’frr Yvlii' h could !><• hammered a pi 10 i-iiioi <Oll ven I ion bv ih“ l’,‘rmaneiil <'ommissinuer, which would com pld" lhe work by Easter. The Con\cnlioii would constitute th- first stage of disarmament, lasting until April 19.”>7, and terminal ing with the Wash ingloii Treatv, Mon awhile* Ihe Commission will en. dfavour to elaborate th.' agreement, embracing th c whole field of fhe American proposals, and provide recognition of the German equality with rest rict ions. Air Davis discussed the matter with Al. Herriot. but reached no agreement. AL Herriot announced that he is returning to Paris on December 6 ap’ parently indicating small hope that the conversations with Herr A'on Neurath. who is arriving to morrow, will provide a. settlement T.ho French indicate a preparedness to continue discussions without Germany, to enable the General Committee to examine the plans which claim io b" tho first conipiehen sivc definition "f Ge’inan equa’ity. CALLING THE TUNE Germany’s New Role (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, December 5. T'hc “Daily Telegraph’s” Geneva' correspondent says: “ r i’hv German Foreign Minister. Herr A’on Neurath, meets the representatives of Britain, America, J-'rance and Italy on ’Tuesday in an earnest endeavour to solve the problem of Germany’s return to the Disarmament Conference. ‘‘Germany is now like a woman who is courted by several parties. ’Therefore she realises her strength. Air MacDonald’s efforts at conciliation have already jiersuaded France to consider Germany’s proposals. “The British delegates support Mr Davis, the American delegate's pro]»o sal fur the embodying of the actual accomplishments of the conference in an agreement. Air Davis wishes to go home quickly with something in his '•ocket to show for his work at Geneva. 'The British delegates, however, realise that, it is difficult to make concrete suggestions 'which can be embodied in an agreemcn t. ” ’ JAPAN'S NEW NAVAL PLANES. 'TOKYO, Dui-cmbci- 5. six naval planes, costing one million yen. have been donated by thc 'widow of a wealthy merchant. They were commissioned to-day at the Haneda airport Naval Rivalry FRANCE AND ITALY'S LITTLE CRUISERS. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Received December 5 at .11.40 |'-m.) LONDON, December 5. The “Daily Telegraph’s” naval correspondent says: “Shipbuilding rivalry between France and Italy is becoming acute. Their new race is a difficulty confronting the Disarmament Conference. Italy had previously warned France that if thc warshin “Dunkerque” were laid down, she would be compelled to build a similar vessel. Thc competition was carried a stage further by Signor Alussolini’s order to construct two more cruisers (pf the “Condottiere” class, thus raising its total to twelve, the last four being of seven thousand tons. Within seven years Italy has constructed, or ordered, nineteen cruisers, or only three I ewer than the British Empire. During the past eight years Italy and France have built thirty-eight cruisers, ninety-six destroyers, and one hundred and thirtyfive submarines. 'l'liis is a total far exceeding the output of thc British Empire and the United States. Not being parties to tho London Naval Treaty, France and Italy are free to build as much light tonnage vessels as thev please.