FRANKLY CYNICAL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11255, 6 July 1922, Page 7

FRANKLY CYNICAL

ABOUT WORLD PEACE RISK OF BEING CAIT'GHT UNPREPARED. DEFENCES AT DANGER POINT. The question of -whether the League of Nations and the various international conferences would result in the preservation -of the -peace of the world was mentioned by two speakers in the Legislative Council yesterday. The first of these speakers was the Hon. Colonel Collins, who thought that good results were likely to bo achieved. THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE. Following him was the Hon. Colonel Smith, who said he felt that he was rathev cynical as to the result of the Washington and other conferences. He was afraid the next war was much nearer than people thought. What was the practical outcome of the Washington Conference? In his opinion it had merely secured a -breathing space for the nations of the world. And the nations had to (have that . breathing space because of their financial difficulties. The conference had not been sitting long before France objected to reducing her defence forces, and so land forces were eliminated from the considerations of the conference. The Powers agreed to do away with competition in capital ships, but it was n-ot. oertain that the d'iy of capital ships hhd passed. One expert, saidi it had, and that' in a conflict, with aeroplanes the victory would he with the aeroplanes. And so on. REDUCTION OF OUR DEFENCE STRENGTH. Sir John Salniond, -returning from that conference, had said that the results of the conference did not justify Ug in scattering our naval defences, and he had urged on us the importance of our doing our share in the defence of the Empire. The fact that it had been decided that disputes should be referred to arbitration had been alluded to, but could the nations be depended on to abide by the decisions *of tho arbitrators.? Some of the resolutions .were- admirable, but he doubted if they were practicable. Frankly, he wa» cynical as to the success of the Washington Conference, the Genoa Conference, tho League of Nations, or any such conference or body. He hoped we would not have trouble in the future, but he thought we should not take the risk of being caught unprepared. We should hold ourselves always ready for peace or war. Our defence foroes had been reduced to a dangerous point,/ and he hoped that when the financial position permitted they would b© -restored to a good footing.