Disarmament

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 232, 13 September 1922, Page 5

Disarmament

PROPOSALS AT GENEVA. GROUP PROTECTION IN EVENT OF ATTACK 'Rv Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.] (Received 13, 9.45 a.m.) Geneva, Sept. 12. At the meeting of the Disarmaments Committee to-night, Lord Robert Cecil will submit regional proposals based on the report of the temporary mixed commission on armaments, which has been sitting during the past year. His proposal provides for a general defensive agreement, binding on the signatories, to render immediate effective assistance, in accordance with the prearranged plan “provided the obligation to render assistance to the couritry attacked be limited in principle to those countries situated in the same part of the globe.” Regarding naval disarmament, he is proposing to ask the Assembly to summon an international conference, including States which did not r sign the Washington Treaty, with a view to inducing them to sign the treaty, for which purpose the draft convention will be submitted to the conference. The committee also proposes asking the Assembly to authorise the pre paration of a scheme of land disarmament for submission to all nations. In the meanwhile, the committee, on the motion of the English delegation, has appointed sub-committees to collect military and naval data from all nations whereon to found schemes of disarmament. Lord Robert Cecil, interviewed, explained that the regional scheme would permit of the formation of groups in the Pacific. One group might include Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and other British islands; the second, Japan, India and other British possessions in the same region, or both might combine. This was a matter for the nations concerned to determine themselves according to mutuality ,of interests and capacity lor rendering material assistance. Th© question whether there should be one or a dozen groups was immaterial; either was consistent with the principle of his proposals, provided the countries concerned possessed means of defence and were prepared to use those means on each other’s behalf. Obviously, the Japanese, British and Australian naval and economic resources, such as coaling stations and food supplies, would be important factors in the formation of any groups.—(A. and N.Z.)