“PURELY THEORETICAL”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26906, 19 October 1948, Page 5

“PURELY THEORETICAL”

SOVIET’S CALL FOR ARMAMENT REDUCTION FRANCE DEMANDS INVENTORIES LONDON, Oct. 17. France described the Soviet call for a one-third reduction in armaments by the Big Five as “purely theoretical,” and demanded inventories of the armed forces of each country, publication of armaments and establishment, and efficient and effective control, says Reuter’s Paris correspondent. The United Nations Disarmament Sub-committee was told that France believed the time between the present assembly and the next should be devoted to a study of disarmament. A report should then be made to the Security Council. M. Henri Rolin (Belgium) said a reduction in armaments alone would not secure world security and international confidence. Countries would become fearful that the armies of other nations were excessive while their own were insufficient. Dr Tsiang (China) declared that he could not support the Soviet plan for a one-third reduction while she said nothing about the other two-thirds China was not ready to sign a blank cheque on a matter of that kind. As soon as the present struggle with the Communists was over, China would reduce her arms by four-fifths.