FRENCH DISARMAMENT PLAN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 269, 28 October 1932, Page 9

FRENCH DISARMAMENT PLAN

PROPOSALS FOR CONFERENCE. EQUAL BIGHTS AND SECURITY. Paris, October 27. The establishment of international aerial police, international control of military budgets and the manufacture of arms, and the suppression of pseudo military police forces are among the proposals believed to be included in the French disarmament plan, which, if adopted at the Disarmapient Conference on November 3, will result, probably, in at least a 20 per cent. redue : tion in the French military estimates. This forecast is based on a report on the disarmament plan adopted at a meeting of a committee of the Radical Party. In reference to arms equality, the report says that Germany was renouncing all intentions to rearm and would take her normal place in the European international framework. Equality of rights logically was related to equality of security. Renunciation of internal guarantees of security must be accompanied by international guarantees. The plan envisages a consultative pact with the United States. The report is particularly severe on organisations constituting armies under the pretext of being political police, though it admits that it may be necessary to combine the regular army and militia. U.S. DELEGATE IN LONDON. British Official Wireless Service. Rugby, October 27. Mr Norman Davis, United States delegate to the Disarmament Conference, who had a series of conversations with the Prime Minister and Sir John Simon, leaves London for Geneva on Friday via Paris, where he will probably discuss disarmament with M. Herriot. GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIP THE FRENCH REPLY Paris, October 27. Because Germany is building a third pocket battleship Cabinet has decided to proceed with the construction of the battle cruiser Dunkerque voted by Parliament fast year. MR HOOVER’S ULTIMATUM. AGREEMENT OB NAVAL RACE. Washington, October 26. Serving notice on the world that this Government considers land armaments reduction is a pre-requisite to further naval reductions, President. Hoover to-day took occasion, in connection with the celebration of Navy Day tomorrow, to issue a statement making known the Government’s attitude towards disarmament. It is also regarded as another attempt to galvanise tho Geneva negotiations’into action. He said: ‘‘The failure of these negotiations would compel the United States to build a navy to full treaty strength. This administration spared no reasonable effort to bring about an agreement with all nations upon a reduction of arms upon ratios agreed noon at tho London Conference. Our patience in these negotiations never for a moment, jeopardised tho safety of tho United States. If these efforts finally fail we will be compelled, by reason of the disturbed, conditions prevailing throughout tho world anti through the necessity of protecting American commerce, to build a navy

to the full strength provided by tho London agreement, equal to that of the most powerful in tho world. I need scarcely suggest that vast expenditures would bo involved by this necessity or tho blow it would deal to one of Hie most cherished aspirations of our people. ’ ’