BIG REDUCTIONS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 29 August 1927, Page 5

BIG REDUCTIONS

THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION. ALLIES REACH AGREEMENT. CABINET . MEMBER RESIGNS. BY CABLE—PREBS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, Aug. 27. It" is officially reported that England, trance, and Belgium hate agreeu to a reduction of the Rhineland armies to 6U OCO on a • proportionate basis, trance by 80Jo and Belgium by 2000. it is rumouied that Viscount Cecil has tendered his resignation as a member of the Cabinet because lie disagrees with bis colleagues.

The political correspondent of the “Daily atxpress” says it is understood that Viscount Cecil’s pioffered resignation is connected with the Rhineland controversy. He argued that trance’s reluctance to i educe her troops by more than 5000 was contrary to the spirit ol Locarno, and even declared that there should not be an army of occupation, France’s security being sufficiently guaranteed by Britain. Sir Austen Chamberlain sided with France, and the result is something like a Cabinet split' How far the situation is altered by yesterday’s Paris decision is not yet known. PARIS, August 26. Cabinet to-day considered the communication from London regarding the Rhineland occupation, and it reported that it agreed to a total-reduc-tion of the troops by 10,000, France to reduce by 8000 and Britain and Belgium the remainder.

VISCOUNT CECIL RESIGNS. SUGGESTED REASONS GIVEN. LONDON, August 28. Reports were current on .Saturday that Viscount Cecil had resigned from his Cabinet position, it appears that lie wished to resign when ne returned irom the abortive disarmament conference, at Geneva, but Mr Baldwin then en route to Canada, and his colleagues persuaded Viscount Cecil to postpone nis decision until the Prime Minister’s return. It is expected that the matter will be cleared up to-day, as Mr Baldwin is departing for his annual holiday at Aix les Bains, while Viscount Cecil is due to leave for Geneva on Tuesday. The “Observer’s” political correspondent says Viscount Cecil strove hard in the last stages of the disarmament conference to avoid a. complete breakdown, but, according to report, was overborne by the supporters of the Admiralty view. In Viscount Cecil’s opinion failure would have been avoided if a readier disposition had been shown on the British side to compromise- , Other political writers aver that Viscount Cecil is out of harmony with the Cabinet’s policy.

FAILURE OF DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE. REASON FOR VISCOUNT CECIL’S RlliBIG NATION. Received 9.40 a.m. ■ to-day. ' . LONDON, Aug. 28. Viscount Cecil told the 1 ‘Observer that the real cause of hi® decision was the faiane of the Disarmament Conference at which he strove his hardest do prevent a breakdown, which would have been avoidable if Britain had made a readier compromise. Viscount. Cecil postponed hi® resignation until the R.t. Hon. Stanley Baldwin s return, because he wishes frankly to make a statement regarding his reason® and his explanation to Mr. Baldwin. ■ . . The “Observer” adds: The Disarmament fiasco lessened the prospects ol the League’s Disarmament Committee's success doubtful, if they’ were :icsumed, resulting in Viscount Cecil’s position becoming most, difficult. The “Standard’ ’ says: There have also been Cabinet dissensions relating to reducing the Rhine army, Viscount Cecil contending that its maintenance was opposed to the spirit of the Locarno pact, while Sir Austen. Chamberlain supported the French refusal to agree to a substantial reduction. — ‘ 1 Svdnev Sun” cable.