SOVIET PROPOSALS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 2 December 1927, Page 5

SOVIET PROPOSALS

AT DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE

“NOT EVEN NEW”

NO CHANCE OF ACCEPTANCE

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association)

GENEVA, 30th Nov

At (lie Preparatory Disarmament Conference, M. Berms trounced Litvinoff, and showed that hio proposals were not even new. He instanced the Norwegian proposal in 1922 for the abolition of all armaments. The subject had been examined to the very foundations. The Commission would undoubtedly find it impossible 'to accept Litvinoff’s proposals, therefore it was best to revert to the agenda and consider the appointment of a Special Commission on Security and Arbitration. M. Benes concluded by resenting Litvinoff’s criticisms of the work of the League. It was evident that M. Benes reflected the general opinion of the delegations. Other speakers expressed themselves similarly. Count Bernstorff rose to endeavour to remove the impression created by Litvinoff’s speech. He denied any attempt to frustrate the success of the Disarmament Commission.

>M. Politis declared that no civilised State could dispense with armed forces altogether. M. Loudon interposed to ask whether the conference wanted to continue or postpone the discussion, as he understood the .Soviet delegation was willing that the discussion should end if they could return to the subject on the second reading of the draft convention. Count Bernstorff, seeing, like everybody else, the way the wind was blowing, proposed this, adding the opinion that Li(vinoff’s criticisms had been 100 severe. *-

Eventually this was agreed to, Count Bernstorff s' motion providing for the second reading a month before the next meeting of the Council. The question of a Security Commission was then raised. Mr Hugh Wilson, on behalf of the United States made a statement regarding the decision not to participate. Ho declared the United States Government was convinced that so far as its rights in the Pacific were concerned the four-power pact concluded between Britain, the United States, Japan, and France was adequate for security. Litvinoff "also intimated that Russia, did not desire to ho represented as she believed such a commission would diminish the importance of the Disarmament Conference and no real results would he obtained. The Commission then, at the suggestion of London, assented to Russia, being represented at the security discussion by an observer. While the Commission was sitting M. Briand was already answering Litvinoff in the Chamber of Deputies in Paris. He asked “If we fling away our arms haw are we to be sure others will do the same thing?” At the same . time lie mentioned that in Russia recently 700,000 men carried out manoeuvres, whereas France, when the new armv reorganisation was carried out, would have a standing force of only 450,000 compared with 990,000 in 1914.