PERIL OF FAILURE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 71, 6 March 1933, Page 7

PERIL OF FAILURE

DISARMAMENT ISSUES FATE OF THE CONFERENCE, EFFECT ON WORLD SITUATION. British Official Wireless.) Received 6, 12.30 p.m.) Rugby, March 5. The British Government’s decision that the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary should go to tho Disarmament Conference as soon as can be conveniently arranged was taken after a report had been received of the proceedings at the Conference from Captain Eden, who returned from Geneva specially to give the Government a full account of the proceedings there. Captain Eden is returning to Geneva this week-end and will continue to lead the British delegation until the arrival of the senior Ministers.

His valuable services during tho last few weeks were the subject of much commendation from his Ministerial colleagues and the Press. There is a strong impression in responsible London quarters that if the failure of the Disarmament Conference is to be avoided, definite success must be achieved in the near future, and for this purpose a fresh and determined initiative is essential. Tho far-reaching consequences of failure are fully realised in London, and it is urgently desired that other Governments should eo-opj’erate in avoiding such a disaster by giving a fresh impetus to the vital cause of disarmament. The date of the departure of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary is as yet unknown, but it is hoped that leading representatives of other Governments able to take decisions will attend at Geneva at the same time so that no delay need be incurred in achieving the results which are held to be so essential. PRESS COMMENTS. “The Times’’ considers that it will be disastrous if no form of agreed limitation is reached and if individual States revert to the tragic rivalry of competitive armaments. The “Manchester Guardian’’ declares that the failure of the Disarmament Conference would hopelessly prejudice the World Economic Conference. It says: “Europe is politically unstable and fearful, and failure at Geneva would drive her back to a still more intense nationalism that would make international action in the economic sphere almost impossible. The “Daily Herald’’ says that the feeling in Geneva is that the FrancoGerman deadlock might be resolved given a reasonable amount of goodwill.