DISARMAMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17472, 22 January 1931, Page 7

DISARMAMENT

BOLD APPROACH URGED LEAGUE SHOULD GIVE LEAD (British Official Wireless.) RUG 15V, Jan. 20. Mr. .Arthur Henderson, opening the public session of the Council of the League of Nations in Geneva, strongly urged that the League should lead the nations in a bold approach on the disarmament problem. Disarmament by collective agreement was the, most important question of the present day in international politics, he said, and the acid test of every nation's loyalty to the ideals, aims and purposes of the League. An effective scheme of armament reduction was essential to the future welfare of peoples. Doubtless they would be told that the present was not' a good lime for leduction, that there was anxiety, unrest, fear, and even talk of war. These things might be true, but he asked in how great, a measure this unrest was simply the result of the armaments that now existed, and how far it would result in uncertainty as to whether war could bo prevented. If there was any real danger in 1 hepresent situation, it was, ho believed, not the risk of war in the immediate future. It was rather that through failure to carry out a policy of disarmament they might drift into the situation which existed before the late

Some people, continued Henderson, said the nations were falling into the dl<l system of alliances) f<>» war-like ends. On' behalf of the British Government, he would say without 'imitation that lit l knew of no alliance and could know of none except, that of the covenant itself—the great world alliance against war, and My hist armaments l>\ which war was prepared. He- asserted that those onlv were their friends who would look with them to carry that cause to victory.