PREVENTING WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1924, Page 5

PREVENTING WAR.

ARMAMENT LIMITATIONS. CONFERENCE IN JUNE. PROTOCOL AGREED TO, By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Sept. 21, 5.5 p.m. Geneva, Sept. 19. It is agreed that the protocol will be inoperative until it is ratified by fifteen States and the disarmament conference ha® actually reached an agreement. The conference will be called in six weeks after the last ratification, the receivable date for which has been fixed for May 1. It is expected, therefore, that the conference will be held on June 15 at the latest. Germany and America, in any case, wall be invited. M. Benes reviewed the provisions of the protocol, which are substantially as in the original draft, except that the aggressors will be held responsible for the cost of all joint League action; secondly, that States refusing to sign the protocol will not have their rights or position injured thereby; and, thirdly, the council can give financial aid to small States having their commerce injured by their joining the economic blockade. Mr. Henderson announced that the international conference on disarmament would meet on June 15 next. He confirmed that the sub-committee dealing with arbitration, security and disarmament had reached an agreement. The fourth commission has adopted a proposal for an estimated expenditure of £500,000 in the construction of the projected Palace of the League. Dr. Nansen has left for Germany on a semi-official mission. He will discuss with Dr. Marx the question of Germany’s admission to the League. BRITAIN AS WORLD POLICEMAN. THE IDEA ABANDONED. Received Sept. 21, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 20. The Geneva correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says the idea of England becoming the League’s policeman of the seas has been definitely abandoned. All seem to agree that the definition of an aggressor is a power refusing arbitration and not submitting to a regular inquiry. This alone would not prevent war, but in the opinion of the British and Scandanavian delegations the more advance towards disarmament the easier will be the task of obtaining recognition of arbitration and its decisions. The Morning Post says the British made considerable concessions on the subject of military and economic sanctions, while the French advanced the matter of disarmament to an extent so far unhoped for. CONSULTING DOMINIONS. ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATION. Received Sept. 21, 11.5 p.m. London, Sept- 20. The Geneva correspondent of the Australian Press Association says the calling of the meeting of the Assembly this morning aroused expectation of an announcement regarding arbitration and security and the public galleries were crowded. The business, however, was the submission of the reports of committees, which had completed their labours, and M. Salandra’s statement was anxiously awaited. An announcement is unlikely before Wednesday, as the British Government must be consulted. All the British delegation meets on Sunday to discuss their course of action nekt week, and the conference is likely to last three hours. These conferences are held as frequently as possible, and they provide the only method of consulting the Dominions. The British delegates prefer meeting Dominion delegates oftener, but there are obstacles owing to the division of the delegates among the committees and the fact that they are not living at the same hotel.

Mr. Charlton spoke at an anti-war meeting this evening. There were a thousand present, including Italian, Swiss and German Socialists. The lastnamed is a member of the Reichstag, and during the height of the German’s fulminations against the capitalist a young man and woman protested at his insincerity. They were promptly ejected and a. scuffle ensued, sticks and fists being flourished.

Mr. Charlton spoke nearly last at the rate of at least 220 words a minute. He finished in ten minutes exhausted, with his voice nearly gone. He said the Labour Party would consent to support any move towards peace from whatever quarter. If Labour was returned at the elections, as would be certain, the first step would be to wipe out compulsory military training- Apparently some understood, though Mr. Charlton was not speaking in French, for he was loudly applauded.