FULL ABOLITION OF ALL ARMED FORCES, SOVIET SUGGESTION

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6541, 24 February 1928, Page 7

FULL ABOLITION OF ALL ARMED FORCES, SOVIET SUGGESTION

Complete Disarmament By Four Hectic Stages NOVEL AND INTRICATE SCHEME [By Electric Cable-Copyright] 1 Aust. and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received Thursday, 8.3 p.m.) GENEVA, Peb. 22. With the Security Committee proceeding smoothly the British standpoint is .mailing over practically all the others represented The chief interest centres in the publication of the text of the Soviet disarmament scheme which is much more detailed than last year ’s, i The preamble states: “Desirous of safeguarding the general peace and considering that the existence and increase of armed forces constitute an Immense danger, bearing the germ of • fresh inevitable armed conflagrations we solemnly acknowledge that the only true method of safeguarding peace is the general and Complete abolition of ail .armed forces.”

The -scheme then goes on to propose that thb Powers sign a convention providing for complete world disarmament in four stages. The first year would certainly be a hectic one for in it half of all land, sea and air effectives shall bo disbanded and the remainder disappear the throe following years in equal parts. , . , . , Ministries and commands shall be wiped out, all military documents burned, Acts of Parliament relating to military and kindred matters repealed, and material scrapped. The thoroughness with which all eventualities are foreseen is shown by Article Ten which stipulates that no more military history be written. Pictures photographs and films ,of past wars must be relegated to oblivion and no one must write about war even 'theoretically. Maritime Police Service. When all this is done a maritime police service is to be established for the protection of fisheries and cables and the suppression of piracy and slave trade, for which purpose the waters of the globe are to be divided into sixteen zones of which the Pacific ana Atlantic oceans count four each, Indian and Arctic oceans two each, and the Mediterranean, Baltic, North and Black Seas one each. In these, what may bo. termed sea mandates will be created and regional groups of States will be responsible for the allotted zones which will bo patrolled by maritime police vessels not exceeding three thousand tons, armed with not more than two' guns and manned by volunteer crews With not more than twenty rifles or pistols. Serloys Examination. The “ Daily Express ” correspondent says it was amusing to see the delegates airily pick up the draft and begin to read it. Then there came a gasp as Lord Cushendun said; “ 1 think the proposals must be seriously and solemnly examined on their merits. They should not be rejected because they come from Moscow.” The Canadian delegate, Dr. Riddell, suggested that security would be more effectively advanced by disarmament than by pledges of armed assistance. The absence of armed forces on the boundary between the United States and Canada, promoted confidence and banished, fears and suspicions which were the enemies of security. Dr. Riddell called attention to tin. desirableness of states having similar geographical difficulties considering the establishment of a permanent commission composed of equal numbers of prominent citizens for the purpose of investigation, report and oven decision.