FRANCE’S PART

Southland Times, Issue 21822, 27 September 1932, Page 5

FRANCE’S PART

ARMAMENTS REDUCTION CONSTRUCTIVE PACIFISM CLAIMED SPEECH BY M. HERRIOT (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright.) Paris, September 25. “War is a collective crime—how can one teach children the art of killing?” asked M. Herriot in a speech on the eve of the League Assembly, recalling that the French Budget for. 1933 reduced the army by 527 officers and 43,000 men. Moreover the 62 divisions existing in 1921 had been cut to 30 in 1933. He declared that France had given proofs of constructive pacifism. He was glad France was not the only country to emphasize that German rearmament would be the prelude to a return to the world’s former follies. “We have another cause for anxiety, due to the agreement between the German demands and the writings of an authoritative technician giving an indication that Germany is seeking to organize a powerful modern army destined for aggression,” said M. Herriot. France, but for her goodwill, . might still be in possession of the Rhineland which was returned to Germany before the treaty obligations had been retrieved. France had received no thanks for this. Also, despite the depression, they had opened French markets to German goods, enabling Germany to have a favourable trade balance of £28,000,000. GENEVA CONFERENCE GERMANY WILL NOT ATTEND. DETERMINED TO RE-ARM. Geneva, September 25. The German Foreign Minister, Baron von Neurath, saw Mr Arthur Henderson on Saturday, but Germany has not budged from her refusal to attend the Disarmament Conference. General von Seekt, father of the post-war German Army, interviewed, declared that no power on earth would prevent Germany again becoming a great military power, and they must not be surprised if she used her own means of doing this. She had waited long enough for the others to disarm. MUSSOLINI’S PLAN STRENGTHENING THE ARMY. (Rec. 7 p.m.) London, September 26. The Daily Herald, announcing that Signor Mussolini has called, 1,200,000 reservists to mobilization beginning on October 1, says that, interpreting the policy at present prevailing at the Disarmament Conference, Signor Mussolini believes the army must be larger and of a higher standard of physical fitness. No limit has been announced for the duration of mobilization, but it is believed that when examinations are complete the men will be sent back home. german fleet growing NEW POCKET BATTLESHIP. London, September 17. According to the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, says the Berlin correspondent of The Times, Germany’s decision to build a third pocket, battleship was taken because the Disarmament Conference has yielded no practical results. She has contemplated building a fourth in 1933. The Versailles Treaty permits Germany six battleships. Simultaneously, a commission of the Reichstag Socialist Party passed a resolution condemning the Governments armaments equality claim as giving other nations a pretext for boundless competition in armaments and banding against Germany. Baron von Neurath, Foreign Minister, informed the French Ambassador that as the French reply made no advance towards the German standpoint,, the Government saw no use in continuing the exchange of notes, but was ready to enter into an exchange of views by means of diplomatic conversations.