LESS ARMAMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 20665, 22 April 1929, Page 7

LESS ARMAMENTS

GENEVA CONFERENCE

ATTITUDE OF GREAT BRITAIN

WILL MAKE CONCESSIONS (United Press Assn. —By Telegraph—Copyright.) Rugby, April’ 19. The Preparatory Disarmament Commission of the League of Nations to-day decided unanimously to set aside the Russian Soviet proposals of 1928. Lord Oushendun, the leading British delegate, said that in his judgment the commission was now beginning serious .business. He recalled that the commission started its works by the discussion of two draft conventions submitted by the British and French delegations. A good measure of agreement was reached upon these conventions. There was a certain amount of disagreement, which centred on a few points of very great importance. Thus in the following year there was an adjournment to give the opportunity for discussions and if possible an agreement regarding the disagreement which had arisen in relation to naval disarmament. Unhappily, those efforts had not hitherto been successful, but outside the Preparatory Commission the leading naval powers that had signed the agreement at Washington had actually effected a large and important measure both of reduction and limitation. He suggested that in view of this progress the commission should proceed with the. other branch of the subject, namelv, limitation as it applied to the forces by land and air, for he had no doubt naval difficulties would be overcome. On the subject of limitation by land and air, he confessed that the British Government was keenly zealous to arrive at some definite measure of agreement which would permit of opening the disarmament conference. He himself had been very impatient and sometimes inclined to feel a little exasperated at the slow progress that had been made. The British Government was prepared to make great sacrifices in order to reach an agreement. The British delegation, represented first by Lord Cecil and afterwards by himself, had expressed strong views on many points in dispute. The Military Aspect. Lord Oushendun added: We still hold to those opinions. We still hold that the principles which we have expressed are most likely to lead to good results, but on the other hand, while holding to those views, we recognize that this blanch of the subject is not that in which we have the most interest. We recognize that Great Britain does not pretend to be a military power in a Continental sense of the*term. Her military system itself is fundamentally different from that of most countries represented in this room, and her land forces have already been reduced to such a point that they cannot claim to rival in any sense those of Continental powers. Therefore, we recognize that in this sphere the lead should be taken and must be taken by the military powers and that the possibility of effective limitation depends upon a reconciliation of their views and policy. We do not, therefore, in this session intend to add to the difficulty of reaching an agreement by insisting in every base on our own views. The all important consideration to us is the attainment of such an agreement, as will make progress possible, and though our own system is so different from those of Continental powers, we feel confident that we shall be able to accept any proposals which meet with the general assent of the other powers represented here. I do not, therefore, intend now to repeat the argument which Lord Cecil and I myself have used on earlier occasions regarding the points on which differences have arisen. Of course, if I saw a chance of converting my colleagues to my viewpoint I should certainly endeavour to persuade them, but I am not going to adopt that attitude, the only result, of which would be to wreck the work of this commission by making an agreement impossible. I thus hope to facilitate an agreement in the commission and while reserving my right to examine the results of the commission’s labour as a whole, I repeat that my Government, through me, will endeavour to accept, and I feel confident they will be able to accept, any scheme which meets with the approval of the rest of the commission. What I have said applies to land armaments. As regards air armaments, air power is. of course, of very special importance and interest to an Empire as scattered as ours and embracing such wide stretches of re latively undeveloped territory. My country s home defence problem is. however, broadly speaking the same as that of Continental countries, though its forces arc at present considerably smaller than those of other European countries. My Government would, therefore, expect, as in the case of land armaments, to be able to agree to any further principles in connection with the limitation of air armaments that may secure the unanimous approval of other countries. —British Official Wireless. '