PLANS FOR DISARMAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 1 February 1933, Page 9

PLANS FOR DISARMAMENT

LATE EDITION

BAN ON RESORT TO, FORCE GOAL OF FUTURE PARLEYS SCHEME OUTLINED BY BRITAIN. HOPE TO EXPEDITE WORK. (British Official Wireless.) Received 1.15 p.m to-day. RUGBY, Jan. 31. Now that the whole text of the Cabinet’s poposals. for expediting the wok ©f the Disarmament Conference lias been issued the London programme of work suggested by the British Government has the aim of enabling the conference to embody in a convention the proposals made bv various delegations since the opening of the conference. 'The direction of the work will be placed in the hands' of the bureau of the conference which would without delay organise discussion of the political aspects and the problems ol security and equality on lines which indicated a political commission would proceed to the study of the possibilities of framing a, convention embodying the solemn affirmation on the part of all European powers' to renounce resort to force, while a special committee of Continental European States would examine the possibility of reaching political arrangements definitely and conditions on which each of those States would he entitled to the co-operation of other contracting States on Continent Europe. As regards disarmament proper the bureau would at once undertake the following work : First," it would compute the totals and personnel of the “police component’’ of the existing land forces from each country, both metropolitan and overseas, according to the scheme for the calculation of land forces in the Hoover Plan. Secondly,, it would agree upon the percentage bv which the “defence component” of each State should be reduced and fix the dates. Thirdly, it would determine the stages and methods bv which European Continental armies may bei brought into harmony with the general type of organisation adopted in land war material by (a) fixing the maximum tonnage of tanks; (b) by fixing the calibre of mobile land; guns ; (c) by deciding' whether there should be also a limitation to numbers in these cases. In regard to air armaments the bureau would constitute a committee of .representatives of the principle air powers to examine the possibility of the entire abolition of military and naval machines and bombing from the air "combined with effective international control of civil aviation. In- naval forces the bureau would fix the maximum tonnage and maximum calibre of guns for capital ships aircraft carriers (if retained) and cruisers, destroyers and submarines (if retained). The observations of the great powers on the British proposals probably null have been received before the conclusion of the general discussion of the French Plan and it is hoped the commission will proceed immediately afterwards? to the consideration of the programme of work which the British Government has put forward, in no sense as a rival to schemes alrealdy before the conference including the British Plan of November last, but solely with 1 a. view to bringing the prolonged discussions to a practical result in a. convention embodying the measure of agreement now obtainable on the various issues.