PLANS TO REDUCE ARMAMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19314, 15 October 1932, Page 17

PLANS TO REDUCE ARMAMENTS

European Leaders CONFER CONDUCTED IN FRIENDLY SPIRIT British Official Wireless RUGBY, October 13. The Anglo-French conversations on the disarmament problem occupied several hours at Downing Street, apd will be resumed to-morrow. | Mr Macdonald and M. Herriot spent j an hour together 2 lone, after which i they were joined by Sir John Simon, j and the French Ambassador, M. cle I Fleuriau. | An interim communique issued de- ! scribed the conversations as informal | and related to the “difficulties tb2t I have arisen as regards further progress | in disarmament.” i The conversations were resumed Ltev | in the afternoon, and lasted two heurs It was announced that these had been marked by a very friendly spirit. 1 and would be continued at 10 o'clock i to-morrow, after which a full communique will bo issued. M. Herriot intends to leave London to-morrow afternc-n at 4 o'clock. To-night, Sir Jr Simon gave a dinner party at Cl iridges in honour of the French Prime Minister, Mr Macdonald being among those present. It is understood that nothing occurred to-day to affect the proposal put forward by the British Government, and it was accepted in principle by France. Germany and Italy, that a Four-Power Conference should be held in the near future. The purpose of to-day's meeting was in no sense to negotiate, but merely to allow of a frank exchange of ideas as to the methods of removing the obstacles which have impeded the general disarmament negotiations. There is no desire or intention to do work which should properly be done by the League, or which the Disarmament Conference is undertaking. The purpose of the Premiers was rather to assist the Disarmament Conference to i go on functioning. To-day’s conversations were guided solely by that purpose.