POWERS' ARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21597, 15 September 1933, Page 11

POWERS' ARMS

CONTROL QUESTION . i N . PENDING DISCUSSION BRITAIN AND PRANCE / REPORTED COMPROMISE A '"TRIAL PERIOD" By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received September 14, G. 5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY. Sept. 13 Tho Prime Minister, who is at Lossiemouth, Scotland, is expected to roturn to London on Sunday. On Monday /morning ho will ho visited by Mr. Norman Davis, United States delegate to tho Disarmament Conference, who, during his visit to London at the weekend, will also discuss certain questions connected with the work of tho Disarmament Conference with Mr. Arthur Henderson, its president. Mr. Davis will leave London for Paris next week and probably will take part in the later stages of disarmament conversations to take place there between British and French Ministers. Tho British Government will bo represented in these conversations, which are to be begun on Monday, by the Foreign Under-Secretary, Captain Anthonv/Eden, who will bo accompanied by tho Hon. A. G. M. Cadogan, tho newly-appointed British Minister to China, who is expected to leavo London on Sunday. Tho need for a clear understanding between Britain and France pn certain aspects of disarmament before the meetings are resumed at Geneva is fully recognised in London, and it is anticipated that in the course of noxt week's conversations the question of international control of armaments will receive particular attention. The full details of tho French proposals for effecting control are not known .yet and tho talks, to a largo extent, will bo exploratory. At the conclusion of tho Captain Eden probably will return to London to report before proceeding to Geneva, where the Council of the League of Nations will meet on September 22. The Paris correspondent of the Manchester Guardian says the greatest importance is attached to Monday's disarmament talks in Paris. Captain Eden is expected to present a revised version of the British draft convention. It is understood that Britain has accepted the French proposals for the control and inspection of armaments, including the "trial period" proposal, but is seeking a definite French undertaking to disarm as soon as the "trial" has proved satisfactory. Messages from Berlin indicate German alarm at the possibility of such a compromise between Britain and France.

A cablegram from London on September 4 stated: —The News Chronicle says "Wednesday's meeting of the British Cabinet may be the prelude td decisions of vital import to world peace. It is expected to precede informal international discussions in anticipation of the resumption of tbe Disarmament Conference in October. In view of the information in the possession of the British and French Governments tho pending diplomatic interchanges must almost inevitably test tho sincerity of the peace professions of the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler. Germany is steadily arming. France considers that the German artillery will be adequate for war in four or five years, but she is more gravely perturbed by the almost immediate aerial menace. Therefore, France proposes that any agreements made at Geneva shall embrace a compulsory half-yearly investigation of armaments. A previous message had stated:—The Powers have received information which proves that Germany is secretly accumulating arms under all the five categories forbidden by tho terms of the Versailles Treaty/ With the militarised police Germany's armed forces number 1,085,000. Her "voluntary" ; labour corps, in training as militia with other irregular forces, are divided into seven army corps, vrhich are subdivided into divisions, brigades and companies. These forces possess cavalry units,

engineer companies and motor specially organised for sudden attacks and anti-tank gas sections, all com-i manded by officers of the lieichswehr. Even railway guards aro armed. Hundreds of high-speed aeroplanes, ostennibly civil, but convertible into bombers and gas sprayers, are being built in Bavaria and 900 Nazi pilots have been organised on military lines. SUPREMACY AT SEA BRITAIN FALLS BEHIND ADMIRAL'S WARNING LONDON. Sept. 8 "Anyone with eyes and ears must agree with Mr. W. M. Hughes that Britain's supremacy at sea has become a memory," Rear-Admiral Stevenson, secretary of the Navy League, remarked to an interviewer. "Unfortunately, what Mr. Hughes 6ays is undoubtedly true. Enormous post-wur naval reductions, coupled with 'the increases of other nations, has completely altered the position," the rearudmiral added. Ho quoted the following Navy personnel comparisons: — Britain: 1914, 146,000; 1933, 90,000. United States: 1914, 67,000; 107,000. Japan: 1914, 50,000; 1933, 89,000. In the case of the last-mentioned Power, tho personnel is still stoaduy increasing.