DISARMAMENT PROBLEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20242, 30 April 1929, Page 11

DISARMAMENT PROBLEM.

NEW AMERICAN VIEW.

REAL ADVANCE MADE.

REVIEW BY CHAMBERLAIN. British Wireless. RUGBY, April 28. Tlio Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sir Austen Chamberlain, in the course of a speech at Wakefield, referred to what he described as the notable declaration made by Mr. Hugh Gibson, American delegate to the Preparatory Commission ou Disarmament at Geneva. Ho said he thought the declaration had paved the way for a real advance in that movement toward disarmament, which all the world desired and needed.

It had a special interest for Britain, because it showed onco again how close in those matters were the-policies of the United States and Britain, and how similar was their outlook and point of view. Mr. Gibson had dwelt on the important bearing which the signature of the Kellogg Pact had on the problem of disarmament. He agreed with him.

Something like four years ago, speaking in the Assembly at Geneva, Sir Austen said, ho had stated that moral disarmament was a preliminary to the physical disarmament of tho nations. Mr. Gibson, in expressing tho opinion of his Government and of the President, Mr. Herbert Hoover, in his recent utterance, had dwelt upon the new outlook, which he said ought to be brought to bear on these matters in tho light of tho solemn engagements they had taken not to have

recourse to war as an instrument of national policy. No Difference of Principle.

"But, our agreement docs not stop there," continued Sir Austen. "Mr. Gibson defined tho purpose and object of tho United States as being to secure in tho naval field not merely a limitation of armaments, but a reduction of armaments and a reduction which shall not be applied to this or that class of ship only, but to every class of vessel.

"Already in the House of Commons I havo expressed, and tho Prime Minister has expressed in the country, our full adherence to, and our acceptance of, this policy so declared by the United States, because between them and us there is no difference of purpose, no difference of principle. We, too, desire not merely a limitation, but a reduction of armaments. We, too, desire not merely a partial reduction applied to certain classes of warships, but a reduction applied throughout the whole field of naval construction.

"As between America and us I do not hesitate to declare my profound conviction that at no time would an arrangement have been difficult, for between them and us war is a contingency that no sane or responsible man will contemplate as a possibility of the policy he pursues. Britain's Views Same as American, "We could havo said to America: 'Trusting to you that you build what is required for your needs, wo will build only what is required for the necessities of our defences, and in considering our defences wo do not havo to consider the naval forces of tho United States.'

"What was the problem," continued Sir Austen. "I stated last February in words which I venture to repeat to day that it was not whether (lie United States Navy would be equal to our own. We had accepted, fully and with intention, parity with the United States. It was not that they wanted a reduction and. wo did not. We desired a reduction as earnestly as they did. As I said in February, the problem is to find some equation by which wo can measure naval strength so that the parity which both nations desire may be reached at a level which indicates, not any increase in the armaments of tho world, but a reduction. Easier to Find Standard of Reduction. "Tho significance, importance and hopefulness of the statement Mr. Gibson made the other day is that, by suggesting new criteria of comparison, he has mado it easier to find a standard by which reduction may be fixed, while taking account of tho difference in circumstances and the different needs of tho Powers which arc concerned.

"But Mr. Gibson made a second, and in its way an equally remarkable, contribution to this problem. Only yesterday he turned from naval armaments to land armaments. Again observe how similar the standpoint and outlook of the United States aro to those of our own country. Mr. Gibson, speaking on the question of trained reserves, said the Government of the United States would have desired that those reserves should be included in any scheme for limitation and reduction. However, recognising that the United States, which, like Britain, maintains but a very small army—scarcely more than a police force, equivalent to the duties which it has to discharge—realising that countries to situated could not dictate to the great military nations of the Continent with their different systems and different traditions, Mr. Gibson had said that while that was the desire of the United States it would not insist upon it in deference to the feelings arid traditions of the other countries. This lie did in tho hope that by yielding America's view those other countries would be led to make a great step forward in the direction in which they all desire to move. America's Step Toward Peace. "I call your attention to that," said Sir Austen, "because only last summer the British Government and I were victims, or objects at any rate, of unmeasured denunciation by both the other parties in tho State. Because we had said and done exactly what Mr. Gibson said and did yesterday at Geneva, wo were told wo had made disarmament impossible. "We were told that, worse than that, wo h&d definitely separated ourselves from the United States and created a real divergence between its policy and ours. Now wo see that, moved by tho same desire to make progress and to find lines upon which progress may be made, Mr. Gibson makes a declaration at Geneva for which we were denounced when we made it a year ago.

"I do not wish to protend, that all the difficulties are over. Wo have still a long way to go. We have many obstacles to overcome, but I hold that the American action at Geneva in tljcso last days is a hopeful sign of ultimate success, and has made the most valuable contribution to the (ja»sc of disarmament and peace,"