CONFESSION OF FAILURE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17955, 6 December 1932, Page 5

CONFESSION OF FAILURE

ARMAMENTS PROBLEM PROPOSED ADJOURNMENT CONVERSATIONS AT GENEVA (British Official Wireless.) Roc. 10 a.m. RUGBY, Dec. 5. Important private conversations began at Geneva on Saturday, when Mr. MacDonald and Sir John Simon called on the French Premier, who also will see Dir. Norman Davis, the American delegate. Baron Yon Nourath, the German Foreign Minister, will reach Geneva to-day. The Daily Telegraph’s Geneva correspondent. says that Baron von Ncurath will meet the representatives of Britain, America, Franco and Italy tomorrow in an earnest endeavor to solve the problem of Germany’s return to tlie Disarmament Conference. Germany is now like a woman courted by several parties and therefore realises her strength. Mr. MacDonald’s efforts at conciliation have already persuaded France to consider the German jiroposals. The British delegates support Mr. Davis’ proposal embodying the actual accomplishments of the conference in an agreement. Dir. Davis wishes to go home quickly with something in his pocket to show for his work at Geneva. Tho British delegates, however, realise that it is difficult to make concrete suggestions which can bo embodied in an agreement.

The Daily Herald says that an attempt to close down the Disarmament Conference and hand the business over to a permanent commission ,is gathering strength at Geneva. Such an act is a confession of failure. The present achievements of the Disarmament Conference are little more than an amplification and ar, extension of the old Hague convention and do nothing to make war less probable or remove swollen ariqaments. To throw up tho sponge now would be a piece of intolerable poltroonery.

NEW NAVAL RACE ITALY AND FRANCE BARRIER TO DISARMAMENT (Elec. Tub Copyright—United Press Assn.) LONDON, Dec. 5.

The Daily Telegraph’s naval correspondent says that shipbuilding rivalry between Franco and Italy is becoming acute and. the now race is a difficulty confronting the Disarmament Conference.

Italy previously warned France that if the Dunkerque were laid down she would be compelled to build a similar vessel. Competition was carried a stage further by Signor Mussolini’s order to construct two more cruisers of the Condottier class, raising the total to 12, the last four being of 7000 tons.

Within seven years Italy has constructed or ordered 19 cruisers, only three fewer than tlie British Empire. During eight years Italy and Franco have built 38 cruisers, 90 destroyers and 135 submarines, a total far exceeding the output of the British Empire and the United States. Not being parties to the London Naval Treaty, France and Italy arc free to build: as much light tonnage as they please.