Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27, 1933. DISARMAMENT TALKS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 257, 27 September 1933, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27, 1933. DISARMAMENT TALKS.

A favourable review lias been issued of tbe disarmament discussions at Paris between tbe representatives of Britain, France and the United States. Their purpose is to try and smooth out the difficulties that hinder definite progress being made at Geneva. The Conference stands adjourned until October 16, on the recommendation of the Bureau as adopted by the General Committee, but with the proviso that the President (Mr Arthur Henderson) may convene a meeting of the Bureau at an earlier date if deemed necessary. A main reason for the break in the proceedings, which have been protracted by the introduction of scheme after scheme leading nowhere, was to give Mr Henderson the opportunity . to confer with representatives of the other Powers on the problems which arose subsequent to the presentation of the British plan which was accepted in May as a basis of agreement. The British proposals were a compromise of the divergent schemes previously introduced, and at last a ray of hope came from the Geneva discussions. The principle of the plan was accepted shortly after its introduction, leaving the delegates the task to reconcile their differing' views on the procedure towards disarmament. The convention provided that the Powers should not resort to force and defined the new general limitation of armaments to replace the armament clauses of the Peace Treaty, which Germany protests against. Under the headings of personnel and military, naval and air material there are proposals for qualitative disarmament. The convention placing the obligation on the nations not to resort to force lias been approved by practically all the leading Powers, but there is a wide gap between their views under the disarmament headings. In July Mr Henderson toured the capitals of Europe to further the cause, but he found little of a cheerful nature in his mission. There was evidence of a desire to agree upon a convention, but the attainment of this object could not be said to be within reach.

With the attention of the nations focussed on tbe World Conference there was substantial reason for adjourning the discussions which were leading nowhere. France and Germany were definitely at variance on the question of security; there was no change in the attitude between France and Italy on the question of naval parity; Germany steadfastly opposed the disbandment of semi-military bodies of police troops, and even the British delegates were insistent on their reservation to the abolition of bombing aircraft providing for its use for police purposes in outlying areas. A number of important issues were reserved for the President’s negotiations in the interval between the resumption of the discussions, such ns the definition of aggression, supervision and control, air bombardment, size of tanks and artillery, military and naval aviation, and Budgetary limitation. These points were in discussion between the Powers in Paris, the exchange of views being designed to “reach an understanding which will facilitate the debates in the Conference next month.” Substantial progress was reported at the week-end, but uppermost is the conviction that determined to give no concession for fear of Germany. The allegations of German secret arming while ostensibly complying with the Peace Treaty, conditions have stirred public opinion in I ranee, which no Ministry can afloid to ignore. Yet if there is to be a successful outcome of the Confer-

ence, these two nations must make a greater contribution. As Captain li. A. Eden, the British delegate says, if an agreement could be reached between France and Germany on the basis of the British draft convention, the other difficulties no doubt would adjust themselves around the nucleus of this common accord. “It is,” he adds, “the task of British statesmanship to do all in its power to make this agreement possible.” The importance attached to the conversations in Paris is at once plain, and the measure of agreement will be reflected in the progress next month at Geneva. A material hindrance is the agressiveness and truculence of Hitlerisin, which has so changed the political outlook in Europe as to transfer a large amount of sympathy to France that a year ago was being shown to Germany. In the present state of Germany, where war is being preached for its sake and glorified as a national right, the cause of disarmament is sharply retarded. A sober conscience must be cultivated in the Reich if it is to play its full part in the Disarmament Conference.