GUARANTEE OF PEACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19965, 6 December 1926, Page 9

GUARANTEE OF PEACE

INTERNATIONAL WAR CHEST. FINNISH PROPOSAL TO LEAGUE. (Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, December 4. (Received Dec. 5, at 5.5 p.m.) Among the foremost questions to come before the League Council at Geneva next week will be a Finnish proposal for an international war chest, to be placed at the disposal of any nation threatened with war. A tentative suggestion is that Britain and other Great Powers should undertake, in the event of a member of the League becoming the victim of aggression, to provide an immediate loan up to, say, £60,000,000, each Power promising to find £10,000,000. Each Government would guarantee the share raised by its bankers. According to the Finnish proposal this would avoid the necessity of exposed States such as those along the Russian frontier maintaining heavy armaments and munition factories. The League Council’s sub-committee yesterday decided to instruct the Financial Committee to examine the Finnish proposal and all analagous measures. The Finnish representative thanked the members for the interest shown in the question. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent regards this proposal to implement Article VI of the Covenant as amazing. “It means,’’ he says, “that the British tax-payer would be required to repay a loan from which only a foreign country or armament firms would benefit, since we know from past experience that the war loans made by Britain even to the richest countries are not recoverable. v Once we start financing such operations we must go on. Finally, the proposals will tend, to make the smaller countries unreasonably sensitive and bellicose.”—A. and N.Z. Cable. ANGLO-FRENCH POLICY. MINISTERS IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT. PARIS, December 4. (Received Dec. 5, at 5.5 p.m.) Sir Austen Chamberlain, while en route to Geneva, lunched with M. Briand, M. Poincare, . and M. Herriot. Sir Austen and M. Briand subsequently conferred regarding matters of policy, with special reference to questions which will be discussed at Geneva, and were in complete agreement on them.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE LEAGUE COUNCIL. DISARMAMENT PROJECTS. VISCOUNT CECIL WELL PLEASED. LONDON, December 5. Dec. 5, at 11.30 p.m.) Speculation is rife concerning the conversations which' took place between Sir Austen Chamberlain and M. Briand in Paris, especially in Germany, where the dominant question is the withdrawal of military control. The German newspapers are highly suspicious, and deprecate any Franco-British agreement before the meeting of the League Council. They especially fear a postponement of the disarmament question until the March session. The prospects of a four-Power meeting are considered remoter. It is understood that Signor Mussolini is at present of opinion that it would be premature owing to insufficient preparation. Viscount Cecil, who is in Geneva, stated that he was well satisfied with the result ■ of the Disarmament Sub-commit-tee’s deliberations. These would possibly be the turning point in the League’s history, he said. The League was now turning its attention to the prevention of war instead of provision for the punishment of the aggressor. “Under the projects we have ordered to be prepared,” said Viscount Cecil, “the League would be convened immediately a threat of war was made, and would remain in constant session utilising every means to prevent the war. Had it been possible in August, 1914, to summon such a council it is almost certain that the Great Whr would have been prevented. We have also recommended measures which will enable the council to use all the League’s weapons and influence on behalf of an attacked nation in the event of a war being actually started.” The Sunday Express’s diplomatic correspondent mentions as an astonishing . fact that Mr Churchill has authorised the British representatives on the League's Finance Committee to consider the granting of war credits up to £10,000,000 under the Finnish proposal, and adds: “Mr Churchill may argue that the amount will be the real maximum, and that moreover it may never be required, and will not be given in any case unless the other Powers agree to make similar advances; but it is not clear how the money, once given, will be recovered, and whence.” — A. and N.Z. Cable.