DISARMAMENT PROBLEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 31

DISARMAMENT PROBLEMS

WASHINGTON, August 28. It is reported in diplomatic circles that England and France are ready to resume disarmament discussions “ at Geneva without further delay, as soon as the United States signifies her willingness to accept the Anglo-French naval accord as a basis for the discussions. GENEVA, August 28. Some progress amid difficulties has been made by the Special Commission on the Manufacture of Arms and Munitions with tlrt adoption of an article for a proposed draft convention that - the weight, number and value in certain categories of material manufactured by State and private organisations should be made public.

NAVAL CO-OPERATION. (( . GENEVA, August 31. It is a question of policy that was ne\er discussed. There are no secret clauses, and no arrangement has been made regarding an alliance or the cooperation of the navies. All that is absolutely beside the mark. Nothing of the sort was ever suggested.” Lord Cushendun to-day thus gave an absolute denial to the fantastic allegations in the Continent and America concerning an Anglo-French naval formula. “No pooling of our navies was ever suggested, lior is there anything in the shape of an agreed policy between ourselves and the French,” added Lord Cushendun. “It is no agreement in the ordinary sense of the word, as applied to international negotiations. It is not final. There is no question of figures or the numbers of ships. That is for a later stage. The so-called agreement is no more than a solution of the AngloFrench draft conventions. If the United States, Italy, and Japan agree, then we hope that the next meeting of the Preparatory Committee will accept the draft. If any object, that result cannot be achieved.”

ANGLO-FRENCH NAVAL COMPROMISE. RUGBY, August .31. Lord Cushendun, in a statement to a press representative at Geneva on the Anglo-French compromise regarding naval disarmament, emphasised that it was not a treaty. It was not final, and contained no arrangements for naval co-operation and no secret clauses. He recalled the divergence of opinion between the French and British in the Preparatory Commission for the disarmament conference in regard to the principles on which naval disarmament might be approached, and his announcement in that commission last March of the conversations proceeding in Geneva and Paris between the Ministers and sometimes between experts for the purpose of reaching a compromise which would make further progress possible. The French and British reached an agreed text, but this was obviously only the first step, since all the other nations concerned must also come into the agreement. The American, Italian, and Japanese Governments had thus been invited to make observations on the text, and if they agreed it was possible to hope that the Preparatory Commission at its next meeting would accept the draft. The Governments concerned could, of course, suggest amendments, and if their own suggestions went deeper then the commission would have to approach the issue again and search for accord along other lines. Lord Cushendun added that the agreement consisted of a few short but technical, causes, and its publication was naturally delayed until the Governments most concerned, to whom it had been communicated, had had an opportunity to consider their replies.