ARMAMENTS TALKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21314, 15 October 1932, Page 11

ARMAMENTS TALKS

BRITAIN AND FRANCE M. HERRIOT IN LONDON British Wirclef? RUGBY. Oct. 13 The Anglo-French conversations to-day on the disarmament problem occupied several hours. They took place at Downing Street. The British and French Prime Ministers, Mr. Mac Donald and M. Hcrriot, spent an hour together alone, after which they were joined by the British Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, and the French Ambassador, M. do Flenriau. An interim communique issued described the conversation as informal, and said it related to " tho difficulties that have arisen as regards further progress in disarmament." The conversations were resumed later in the afternoon and lasted two hours. It was announced that theso had been marked by a very friendly spirit, and would be continued at 10 o'clock tomorrow, after which a full communique will be issued. M. Hcrriot intends to leave London to-morrow afternoon. This evening Sir John Simon gave a dinner party at Claridge's in honour of the French Prime Minister. Mr. Mac Donald was among those present. It is understood that nothing occurred to-day to affect (he proposal put. forward by the British Government and accepted in principle by France, Germany and Italy that a Four-Power Conference should be held in the near future. The purpose of to-day's meeting was in no sense to negotiate, but merely to allow of a frank exchange of ideas as to the methods of removing the obstacles which have impeded general disarmament negotiations. There is no desire or intention to do the work which should properly be dono by the League of Nations or which the Disarmament Conference is undertaking. The purpose of the Prime- Ministers is rather to assist the Disarmament Conference to go on functioning. To-day's conversations were guided solely by that purpose.