DISARMAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 26 April 1927, Page 5

DISARMAMENT

THORNY PROBLEMS GREAT ISSUES AT STAKE. DIVERGENCE AT COMMISSION. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION--COPYRIGHT. GENEVA, April 23. A divergence sprang up at the Disarmament Commission relating to the eventual application of the convention and the exchange of information relating to various nations’ armaments. Unanimity on these points oould not be obtained. • The French proposal dealing with ratification was finally adopted, with a reservation by Count'Bemstorff to the effect that the convention at present doe® not show whether it will be the first step towards the genuine disarmament envisaged' by the Versailles Treaty. Count Bemstorff said; he was specially opposed to the French provision that the convention should not affect previous treaties with relation to military, naval and air forces. This is regarded as designed to cover French interests in Belgium, Czeoho-Slovakia., Poland and Roumania. All the neighbours of Russia insisted that- the convention should not be operative in respect of them, until Russia had signed. Argentina advanced the same plea with respect to South America.

GENEVA, April 25

The Preparatory Disarmament Commission is speeding up to the first reading of the draft convention, hoping that the second reading a few moutlis hence will bring a solution of the thoriiv problems upon which agreement so far has not l>een reached.

Japan made important concessions during the week-end, withdrawing the previous reservations regarding naval personnel and naval air armaments. In the course of the discussion on the Dreamble of the convention. Count Bemstorff strongly pleaded that it should' be international and acceptable to both the United' States and Russia, and l not merely be a League convention.

VERSAILLES TREATY OR. THE LEAGUE.

THE GERMAN ATTITUDE

LONDON, April 23

The “Morning Post’s” Geneva correspondent says the greatest significance attaches to the line taken throughout by the German delegation. They have committed themselves without qualification to securing recognition of the Versailles Treaty as a bilateral document. Unless real, disarmament is commenced immediately. Germany intend® to try to rid) herself of certain clauses of the treaty. Either the Versailles Treaty or the future of the League is at issue. Disarmament is the rock upon which the League is ■likely to founder unless the treaty is sacrificed or France agrees to disarm.

RENEWAL OF WASHINGTON TREATY. LONDON, April 24. “Reynolds’ News” states that the Rt. Hon. W. C. Bridgeman, First Lord of the Admiralty, will announce at President Coolidge’® l naval conference at Geneva in June that Britain is willing to renew the Washington Convention for five years from its expiry in 1931. Britain "will also propose a further reduction in' the size of cruisers, orobnibly to 6000 tons.