Disarmament

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7068, 30 January 1933, Page 7

Disarmament

Britain Pressing for Decision PLANS TO BRING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS (British Official Wireless.) Recoivod Sunday, 9.50 p.m. RUGBY, Jan. 27. In order to facilitate tho work of the Disarmament Conference at Genova and give direction to the discussions now proceeding in the bureau of the Conference, the British Government has drawn up a programme of work designed to bring order out of tho confusion which has resulted from tho production of .plans by tho various Powers and the discussions in the bureau regarding the control of disarmament which has not yot been achieved. This in no senso represents a new plan as tho British proposals were presented in full detail to Geneva on November 17. It has, however, been strongly felt here that early and practical decisions should bo taken by tho Disarmament Conference aud with this in view a comprehensive programme of work has been prepared for examination by the bureau before the general commission completes its work next week if it is found that thero is a general agreement among the great Powers in favour of such action.

The programme invites the bureau to discuss security and disarmament simultaneously and in a practical way with tho object of framing a convention or conventions embodying tho decisions so far as they are ultimately approved. Such discussion would prabably reveal a general agreement on certain political aspects of tho question which have been raised before the Conference and theso political matters which still await final discussion and have a vital bearing on questions of security are in the forefront of tho proposed programme. In regard to disarmament the subjects for consideration are grouped under the headings:—Effectives, la-*, war material, air and naval forces. The programme invites the bureau to taxo definite decisions with a minimum of delay in each of theso fields. Special interest attaches to aerial disarmament and if the British programme of work is adopted the bureau will be instructed to constitute a committee representative of the principal air Powers to examine tho possibility of tho entiro abolition of military and naval machines and of bombing from tho air combined w T ith effective international control of civil aviation. As a preliminary to the decision to he taken by the committee of tho air Powers the programme recommends that the bureau should at once, firstly, fix the maximum unladen weight of military and naval aircraft 5 secondly, decide as to the disposal of machines exceeding that limit; and thirdly, fix the numbers of machines not exceeding the unladen weight limit which may be allowed to each State. As to naval forces the proposed programme is .consistent with the July resolution advising the five main naval Powers to undertake conversations. The British programme of work for the Disarmament Conference has been submitted by the British delegato (Captain Eden) to the United States, French, Italian, German and Japanese delegations, also to Mr. Arthur Henderson as President of the Conference. Equal Rights of Ex-Belligerents

BASIS OF GERMAN ASSENT TO SECURITY.

BERLIN, Jan. 27. In announcing Germany’s return to the Disarmament Conference in hopes of designing a convention to ensure the security of all, General Sehleichei emphasised that Gcnrany would never sign anything inconsistent with the principle that no differentiation between the rights of victors and vanquished is permissible.