GENEVA CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20703, 29 April 1929, Page 9

GENEVA CONFERENCE

QUESTION OF AIRCRAFT. FRENCH AMENDMENT ADOPTED. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) GENEVA, April 20. The 1 Disarmament Committee adopted a French amendment elaborating the' original convention and enabling the signatories to indicate separately the number of aeroplanes, dirigibles, and aircraft carriers at home or overseas, also the number of aeroplanes at the organised military bases at home or abroad. The British and Japanese delegations to the Disarmament Committee have received instructions to ensure that a special effort shall be made at the present session to agree to a future naval disarmament conference, probable at Washington in 1930.—Australia Press Association. LAND AND SEA FORCES. ATTITUDE OF BRITISH GOVERNMENT. REDUCTION OF ARMAMENTS FAVOURED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 26. The Horae Secretary (Sir W. JoynsonHicks), at a meeting at Hounslow last night, expressed the need of a general reduction of the land and sea forces, adding: “If we can get rid of the great armaments we can do more to secure peace even than by the pacts that we have signed. I take tins opportunity of saying, on behalf of his Majesty’s Government, how warmly we have welcomed the declaration of the United States in. favour of a reduction of armaments, and we shall do all we can to support their views.” STATEMENT BY MR GIBSON. SPIRIT OF BARGAINING DEPRECATED. GENEVA, April 26. Mr H. Gibson, United States delegate to the Preparatory Commission on Disarmament, made an important statement on the limitation of military effectives. He pointed out that the United States always maintained trained reserves. These should be included in peace-time armaments. He urged the delegates to make all possible concessions, freely place their cards on the table, and not adopt a spirit of bargaining which would lead to months of negotiations. M. Massioli (France) approved of Mr Gibson’s view, and said that France was ready to comply by placing her cards on the table. Viscount Sato said that Japan was ready to make all possible concessions. The committee agreed with M. Litvinoff’s proposal that preparations should not be made in peace time to convert aeroplanes into war planes.— Australian Press Association —United Service. PEACE EFFECTIVES. * SHOULD TRAINED RESERVES BE INCLUDED. GENEVA, April 27. (Received April 28, at 5.5 p.m.) The Preparatory Commission has faced a new conflict of viewpoints. Count Bernstorff asked leave to consider overnight Mr Gibson’s new concession of not insisting on the inclusion of trained reserves in the peace effectives. Count Bernstorff to-day insisted that trained reservists were of primary interest to Germany. He was 'sure a method could be discovered whereby they could be taken into account, if everybody made a concession, otherwise important elements employable in war time would be ignored. Germany was unable to maintain reservists undeh the conditions imposed on her. She was willing to abandon insistence on the abolition of conscription, but she must insist that reservists should be estimated not numerically hut on a basis of their value. Mr Gibson, in deference to the wishes of the majority of the Continental Powers, announced that he would not insist on the United States reservation favouring tbe inclusion of trained reservists in the figures of peace-time effectives. The Dutch delegate regretted this, and said if the inclusion was eventually impossible the Dutch delegation must ask leave to withdraw. Therefore, he was glad that the present committee’s decision was not final. M. Litvinoff also expressed regret, and said his Government would accept any agreement for reduction in all. the categories of armaments, active or reserve, conditionally on the same reduction being applicable in a similar degree to other countries. The conference, by openly admitting tbe exclusion of trained reserves, would not be able to solve the disarmament problem. Lord Cushendun was of opinion that the committee should include trained reserves, hut he was .prepared in the interests of the success of the committee’s work to agree to the views of the majority. Any other course would be fatal. Count Bernstorff’s suggestion would be impracticable. There was no conscription in Britain. The Chinese delegate delivered a long address, urging expedition. He declared that no real disarmament was possible under conscription. He uro-ed its suppression. ° The commission is not expected to accept this. It has adjourned.—Australian. Press Association—United Service. REDUCTION OF NAVAL ARMAMENTS. PROPOSED FIVE-POWER CONFERENCE. NEW YORK, April 27. (Received April 28, at II p.m.) The New York Times Washington correspondent says that although reports from Geneva state that the representatives of five naval Powers have suggested to their Governments that a fivePower separate conference for the reduction of naval armaments should be held this summer, the reports are not confirmed there. Nevertheless, the situation arising out of Mr Gibson’s proposals is considered as very satisfactory. Officials believe it is yet too early to expect any definite move towards an'actual practical reduction in fleets, but Mr Gibson’s proposals have_ met with such an enthusiactic reception \by tho statesmen of the nations concerned that there is every reason to hope for some action lookiii ' towards a naval armament reduction agreement before the 1931 Washington Conference. It seems to be tho desire of the Hoover administration that all the five naval Powers should participate in such a conference, but it is believed the success or failure of further efforts for reduction will depend chiefly on the attitude of the United States and Britain, The aspect of assurances that no war can come between these countries is considered of paramount importance. —Australian Press Association—United Service.