BRITISH PLAN SUPPORTED

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1933, Page 7

BRITISH PLAN SUPPORTED

DTBARMAMENT PROPOSALS r , ■ UNITED STATES’ ACCEPTANCE - AMENDMENTS BY GERMANY DEFENSIVE ARMS EQUALITY By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, April 28. In the general commission of the Disarmament Conference at Geneva, the German amendments to the British draft convention were presented, declaring that the attainment of equality should receive practical application in the convention, Germany being allowed all weapons considered necessary to defence by other nations and calling for a more drastic abolition of aggressive weapons than the British plan provided. Mr. Norman Davis, United States representative, urged that the British plan be adopted as a whole. The United States regarded the British plan as a valuable definite contribution to world disarmament, providing a scheme to be followed in progressive steps until arms w6re brought down to a level that all desired. Although the plan contained provisions unsuitable to the United , States, the merits outweighed the defects. Efforts should be directed to the adoption of the plan as a whole without making modifications jeopardising its balance. The United States delegation would resist anything unduly weakening the plan or jeopardising the success of the conference. . M. Massigli (France) declared that if the amendments represented Germany’s last word there was no hope of any disarmament convention. ' \ < The commission postponed discussion on the security question.