THE ARMS DEADLOCK

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 93, 3 April 1934, Page 9

THE ARMS DEADLOCK

Britain Seeking Compromise GUARANTEE COMMITMENTS By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright LONDON, April 2. The “Daily Telegraph" says: “It can be stated with confidence that the meeting of the Disarmament Confermice will not be resumed in April. There is no prospect that a sufficient measure of agreement can be achieved. “While satisfied that the British public would not countenance the despatch of an expeditionary force to participate in an automatic European War, Ministers have been dallying with the idea of the despatch ol’ an air force. Further consideration, however, revealed the fallacy of the idea. An offender against whom Britain took punitive air action would be certain to retaliate on British shipping, and thus the Navy would bo involved. Consideration was also given to the possibility of imposing a commercial blockade, but such action would rapidly lead to a situation hardly distinguishable from war.

“Ministers will ponder the matter over the Easter recess, but there is a growing conviction that the only type of security guarantee France will regard as effective implies commitments that Britain cannot assume.’’