TOWARD DISARMAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1933, Page 7

TOWARD DISARMAMENT

HELPFUL CONVERSATIONS

PROGRESS MADE AT PARIS

ADJUSTMENT OF OPINIONS

CONTENTS OF CONVENTION

British Wireless. Rugby, Sept. 23. Yesterday’s disarmament conversations in Paris are understood to have been encouraging and helpful and have carried still further the work of adjusting the views of the British, French and United States Governments, which has been the object of the earlier talks which Mr. R. A. Eden (British Foreign Undersecretary), and Mr. Norman Davis (United States representative) had with the French Ministers.

By these preliminary discussions it is hoped to smooth the way when the Disarmament Conference is resumed on October 16, and there is every reason to believe that much progress in this direction was made. As the result of the preliminary conversations having to be laid before 50 or 60 nations at the conference for discussion and approval no question of final agreement arises in connection with these talks, but they none the less serve a useful purpose. According to The Times the questions under discussion were the contents of the eventual disarmament convention and conditions, including international supervision, on which it could be accepted by all pai'ties. The British Government insisted on giving the convention first place in the discussions and keeping the conditions in secondary proportion. The main purpose of the conference, therefore, was to discover how far, assuming the necessary conditions, France was prepared to go in disarmament. Here the British representatives at once found reason for encouragement. They found that the French Government was prepared to go farther, after the preliminary period, than before and they found also a nearer approach to Franco-Italian understanding than at any previous time on the contents of the disarmament convention.

ATTITUDE OF UNITED STATES.

REAL DISARMAMENT DESIRED.

Rec. 8 pm. Washington, Sept 24. The Secretary of State (Mr. Cordell Hull) has re-enunciated the United States arms policy as providing freedom from sanctions but willingness to cooperate against arms treaty violators. Mr. Hull said the United States was standing fast upon its declared willingness to go as far as other States toward real disarmament, even to bringing armies down to the basis of domestic police forces. It was learned to-day that the United States would not be averse to an extension of the supervisory powers of the permanent disarmament commission to keep a constant check upon new reductions when and if made.

PURELY DEFENSIVE ATTITUDE.

AUSTRIA AT LEAGUE ASSEMBLY.

Rec. 10 p.m. Geneva, Sept. 25. The chief event at Geneva on Sunday was Dr. Dolfuss’ visit to Sir John Simon to discuss Germany’s claim to equality in armaments. Afterwards Dr. • Dolfuss said Austria would take a purely defensive attitude towards any German questions raised at the Assembly. He added: “We don’t intend to raise the question of the treatment of the Jews.”