DISARMAMENT DELAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21325, 28 October 1932, Page 11

DISARMAMENT DELAY

HOOVER'S WARNING ]' ' ' . MAY BUILD UP NAVY eights under treaty STEP NOT DESIRED I*OWEBS' ACTION URGED 13y Telecrnph—Press Association—Copyright (Received October 27, 5.5 p.m.) v WASHINGTON. Oct. 26 Serving notice on tlie world that the present Government of the United States considers land armament reductions a prerequisite to further naval reductions, the President. Mr. Hoover, to-day took occasion, in view of the celebration of Navy Day to-morrow, to issue a statement making known the Government's attitude toward disarmament. Mr. Hoover's speech also is regarded as another attempt to galvanise the Geneva negotiators into action. He said the failure, of the. negotiations would compel the United States to build her navy up to full treaty strength. " This Administration has spared no reasonable effort to bring about an agreement among all nations upon a reduction of arms.on the? ratios agreed upon at the London Conference. Our patience in these negotiations never for a moment jeopardised the safety of the United States. " These efforts are making progress. If these efforts finally fail we shall be compelled—by reason of the disturbed conditions prevailing throughout the world and the necessity of protecting American commerce —to build her navy to the full strength provided under the London agreement-, equal to that of tho most powerful in the world. *' I need scarcely suggest the vast expenditure which would b9 involved by this necessity or the blow it would deal to one of the most cherished aspirations of our people/' •FRENCH PROPOSALS INTERNATIONAL POLICE ~ COMMENTS BY RADICALS (Received October 27, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, Oct. 26 The establishment of international aerial police, international control of military budgets and manufacture of arms and the suppression of pseudo military police forces, are among the proposals believed to be included in the i renoh disarmament plan. If it is adopted by the Disarmament Conference on November 3 it will result probably in at least a 20 per cent reduction in' the French military estimates. This forecast is based on a report on the disarmament plan adopted at a meeting of the committee of the Padical Party. With reference to arms equality the report says Germany by renouncing all her intentions to rearm would take her normal place in the European and international framework. Equality of rights is logically related to equality of security and renunciation of internal guarantees. Security must be accompanied by international guarantees. Ttie plan envisages a consultative pact with the United States. The report is particularly severe on organisations constituting armies under the pretext of being political police, though it admits that it mav be necessary to combine the regular army with the militia. •NEW BATTLE CRUISER FRANCE TO CONSTRUCT RESULT OF GERMAN BUILDING (Received October 27, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, Oct. 26 Because Germany is building a third jpOcket battleship the French Cabinet has decided to proceed with the construction of the battle cruiser IJunkerque voted by 'Parliament last year. GENEVA CONFERENCE AMERICAN DELEGATE INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS (Raeeived October 27, 6.5 p.m.) British' Wireless RUGBY, Oct, 06 Mr.-Norman Davis, United States delegate to, the Disarmament Conference, who had a series of conversations with the Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, and the Foreign Secretary, Sir .John Simon, ■will' leave London for Geneva on Friday ;via Paris. There he probably will discuss (disarmament with the French Prime Minister, M. Herriot.