Arms Embargo Lifted

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7106, 15 March 1933, Page 7

Arms Embargo Lifted

International Agreement Impossible

BRITAIN WILL NOT ACT ALONE

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, March 13.

Mr. Baldwin, acting as Leader of the House of Commons during the Premier’s absence at Geneva, announced in the House this afternoon that as there was no prospect of international agreement tho Government had decided to remove the embargo on tho exportation of arms to China and Japan as from to-day. Mr. Baldwin said that the decision announced on February 27 that no licences for the oxport of any article mentioned in the Arms Export Prohibition Order, .1931. either to China or to Japan, would be authorised as from that day was, as stated at the time, a provisional arrangement, pending the opportunity of international consultation and decision.

Since then the Primo Minister and the Foreign Secretary had discussed the matter with representatives of the various other countries and had now found that, in their opinion, there was no prospect of any international agreement upon the subject in the near future. In the circumstances no useful purpose would be served by maintaining an embargo observed by Britain alone, and Accordingly the Government decided to removo it as from to-day.

At the same time tho Government remain firmly convinced that the only satisfactory solution of the problem which was bound to recur in the future was to be found in international agreement. Accordingly it was their intention vigorously to pivrsue the conversations already begun, as and when tho opportunity offered, with tho earnest desire to arrive at a form of agreement which would in future secure a uniformity of action on this important subject. Replying to a subsequent question Mr. Baldwin said that the British, in his opinion, had set a great cxamplo. As they had been unable to persuade any one to follow it, their practice now became that of every other nation.