WORLD DISARMAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21098, 4 February 1932, Page 9

WORLD DISARMAMENT.

DELEGATES AT GENEVA.

GRAVE POSITION IN EAST.

NATION'S IMPERATIVE TASK B7 Telegraph—Pross Association—Copyright. RUGBY, Feb. 2. Delegations from more than 60 nations were present when the Disarmament Conference was opened at Geneva this evening. The President, Mr. Arthur Henderson, before beginning his address, made reference to the " tragic fact that at the moment when the conference, the very purpose of which is to take steps toward the maintenance of peace, begins its work, we are confronted with a situation of extreme gravity in the Far East. "It is imperative that all the signatories of the Covenant of the League and of the Briand-Kellogg Peace Pact should make it their business to ensure the strict observance of those two great safeguards against, acts of violence and war." Mr. Henderson'said the task of the conference was, firstly, to reach an agreement on a programme cf practical proposals to secure the speedy and substantial reduction and limitation of all naval armaments; secondly, to determine that no armaments be maintained outside the scope of that treaty; thirdly, to plan a continued advance toward the ultimate goal without detracting from the present effort bv agreeing to similar conferences at reasonably short intervals. They must break up the vicious circle of armaments. The problem was vitally relevant to the world's financial and economic crisis. CHURCHMEN'S PRAYERS. ALBERT HALL GATHERING. ADDRESS BY ARCHBISHOP. (Received February 3, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 2. Seven thousand people of all creeds, after singing appropriate hymns, stood in silent prayer in the Albert Hall after listening to an address by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Cosmo Gordon Lang. The demonstration was organised by the Churches in favour of disarmament.

The Archbishop of York, Dr. William Temple, 20 Anglican bishops and priests of other communions and the Chief Rabbi, Dr. J. H. Hertz, occupied the platform. Dr. Lang said Britain had entered the Disarmament Conference with a good record. This gave her the opportunity of so directing matters that armaments might be reduced to the necessary purposes of defence and all aggressive weapons, particularly bombing aeroplanes and submarines, might be eliminated.

WORK OF CONFERENCE.

TEMPORARY POSTPONEMENT.

SENSATION AT GENEVA

GENEVA, Feb. 1. The temporary postponement at the eleventh hour of the Disarmament Conference in order to comply, with Britain's request to convene the Council of the League of Nations to discuss the Shanghai situation created a sensation. There is a chance of the indefinite postponement of the conference to enable the delegates. as an Assembly of the League, to consider the Sino-Japanese dispute.

The Chinese may demand the application of Article lb of the covenant of the League, which would imply immediate sanctions against Japan.

GERMAN MANIFESTO.

RIGHTS AND SECURITY.

COMPLAINT OF ONE-SIDEDNESS

BERLIN, Jan. 26. " A one-sided disarmament for the Central Powers and a one-sided limitation of military sovereignty violate the principles of equal rights and equal security." This statement is contained in a declaration, issued by the German Universities, which is to be submitted to the Disarmament Conference.

Germany's forces, limited to 115,000 men and deprived of modern arms, the manifesto states, cannot safeguard her sgainst, her neighbours. The signatories to the Versailles Treaty agreed to disarm, which means that they must follow Germany's example. Only thus can the equal security of the nations be assured.

The manifesto exhorts all nations to accept disarmament. " Whosoever at the conference forgets the principle of subordinating might to right must answer to future generations for the failure of the great ideal, a peaceful, united Europe," the manifesto concludes.