WILL TO SUCCEED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18253, 23 November 1933, Page 7

WILL TO SUCCEED

DISARMAMENT EFFORTS BRITISH VIEW RESTATED APPEAL FOR CO-OPERATION PREMIER DENIES RUMORS (British Official Wireless.) Rec. 10 a.m RUGBY, Nov. 22. Britain’s policy in regard to disarmament was restated by the Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, during his speech to-day at the opening of the new session of Parliament.

Replying to the conversations at Geneva, Mr. MacDonald said Germany’s withdrawal from the League and the Disarmament Conference had created a new situation. That the conference should he carried on was never in question, and the only matter in doubt was the host immediate procedure. Sir John Simon had returned to London and reported that there was a very good and determined spifit of co-operation at Geneva, and that there was no intention of allowing the work of disarmament to die, or to fail; that there was a widespread feelitm that parallel and supplementary efforts by the use of diplomatic machinery should now be made in order to make the most effective contribution to the work which the Disarmament Conference had in chargie. “WHERE THERE’S A WILL”

Mr. MacDonald added : ‘‘We hope that Germany may join in these diplomatic exchanges, and that France and Italy will continue the efforts which we have been and are still making so cordially together to bring good results out of the conference. Of course, we shall continue to act in all these matters in close touch with the United States.”

Mr. MacDonald cited the proverb : “Where there is a will, there is a way,” and said the British Government certainly had the will to make the Disarmament Conference succeed, and would not lose an opportunity of discovering a way of working through to a successful end. lie complained that inaccurate statements had been made about the work which British armament firms were doing. He said the facts were that the work which made the so-called armament firms busy in October, and necessitated their engaging more labor, was work connected with hydrogenation. He cited a statement from Sheffield that not more than 20 per cent, of the turnover of large steel firms was represented by armaments, and of this percentage a large proportion included quantities of marine propelling machinery for warships being constructed under ordinary programmes. There were at present no foreign orders for armaments in the whole of Sheffield, lie gave figures to prove that chemical and steel works, about which allegations had been made, were almost entirely engaged in industrial products. DISCUSSION IN LORDS Comment on the same question was made in the House of Lords, when Lord Cecil said that the Government should take the country into its confidence regarding disarmament, for the people were passionately anxious for peace. Lord Hailsharn, replying, said that it, was absolutely without foundation to suggest that. Sit John Simon and Captain Eden went to Geneva at Mr. Arthur Henderson’s request. The Government decided that they should go further in an attempt to bring success to the Disarmament Conference. Lord Arnold: Why did they not go till Mr. Henderson threatened to resign? Lord Hailsharn: If Mr. Henderson did so threaten, it has not affected the Government’s decision. Lord Hailsharn concluded' by hoping that Lord Reading and his colleagues would not follow the .example .of the Samuelites in the House of Commons. “T am confident that the emergency which called the National Government into being is far from completely overcome,” ho said. “Given the same circumstances as two years ago, it might very easily return.” Tlie general labors of the Disarmament Conference at Geneva will he suspended for two months, says tho Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent, owing to the opposition by France and her supporters. No plenary four-power conference will he convened at present. Instead, there will bo parallel exchanges through diplomatic channels concerning the best means of securing Germany’s early return to the conference.