WORLD DISARMAMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17440, 11 December 1930, Page 7

WORLD DISARMAMENT

PROGRESS AT GENEVA NEW MACHINERY CREATED (British Official Wireless.) Roe. noon. RUGBY, Dec. 10. The Preparatory Disarmament Commission has completed its draft convention into this framework: The world disarmament conference will bo invited to insert effective proposals for the Disarmament Commission. It has approved a detailed report explaining the evolution of eacli of the clauses and the reasons for the reservations attached thereto.

Lord Cecil, in a speech, pointed out that the scheme, as drafted, contemplated no finality, but they had created a piece of machinery which, ho believed, would be of gi cat est value to the cause of disarmament. They wore going to bring into existence an international organisation whose duty it would bo to .watch over what they bad done an.l press forward continually (o further advances.

Under the heading, "Something Accomplished," the Times, in a leader, says it is easy to deride the commission, because, in fact, the nations of Europe increased, rather than diminished, armaments, while its labors were proceeding. But for that, clearly the envoys and experts at Geneva are not responsible. The various governments have at least had tho excuse that until some general plan was approved each had only to consider its own position. That excuse is now withdrawn, and the first step taken. The League has drawn up a scheme by which disarmament may be achieved equally and simultaneously* and the established criterion by winch each country may know the reduction made by others equivalent to its own. Those who remember the early dissatisfaction with the Preparatory Commission, and the complete divergence of opinion on tho first principles, must now feel that the co-operative principle has made some real progress.