SENSE OF POSITIVE ALARM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19624, 19 October 1933, Page 9

SENSE OF POSITIVE ALARM

EUROPEAN OUTLOOK REVIEWED REAL REASON FOR FAITH IN ARMAMENTS British Official Wireless (Received October 18, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, October 17. To-night in a broadcast statement, in regard to the recent disarmament negotiations and the withdrawal of Germany from the Conference, Sir John Simon, leader of the British delegation at Geneva, said that every man or woman who at all appreciates the importance of good international relations to the future of the world, had realised the gravity of the event. Equality Conceded Germany. After reviewing the sequence of events Sir John Simon said: “Germany’s position is known to all. Here is a great community, which after the loss of the war, was disarmed under the Treaty of Versailles. Britain took a leading part in securing, in December last, a declaration subscribed by France, Italy and the United States, as well as ourselves, that Germany ought to receive ‘equality of rights in the regime of security.’ By that declaration, we stand. We have never wavered from it. We assert its validity to-day. But a new fact—a very serious fact—has emerged, which does not in the least alter the pledge which we gave, but necessarily affects the detailed manner of its fulfilment. Recent events in Europe have unquestionably increased the feeling of nervousness, and the sense of positive alarm, which is the real reason why heavily armed States hesitate to weaken their armed forces. Lord Cecil said two days ago: It is very genuine anxiety. It would be folly to ignore it,’ There is more anxiety in England about the international situation than for many years past, and on the Continent the feeling is more acute. Everybody knows why. We therefore tried, in these conversations, to work out modifications in the British plan, which this new situation required, if an agreement was to be reached.” Germany's Protests Shattered. Mr Arthur Henderson (President of the Disarmament Conference) declared that on October 9, on some of the more important questions, approach was manifestly influenced by the present unsettled state of Europe and ensuing distrust, fears and alarms. We began discussing amongst ourselves whether, in applying the accepted principle of proceeding by stages, we must not set up a suitable system of international supervision, and start by transformations in Continental armies, which have already been provisionally agreed. Meanwhile, there would be from the 1 beginning of the Convention, an ’ agreement that no Power would manu- ! facture or acquire any arms of the sort to be eventually abolished. In ' discussing this scheme, Germany stipulated quite rightly that disarmament of the second stage must be all laid down in detail in the Treaty itself, i and that supervision must be applied generally, and not to one or two countries alone. With all that, I quite agree, and I certainly thought we were finding in our discussions a much closer approach to a possible basis of agreement than ever before. I reported these steps in language, which no fairminded person could regard as provocative to the Bureau of the Conference, and I regretted very much that . the German Foreign Minister, Baron , von Neurath, was not there to take ' part. I do not for a moment suggest I that agreement had been reached, but . I do most emphatically say that the question which seemed likely to give most trouble was not the proposal of successive periods, but the question whether Germany should have, from the very beginning, what were called ‘samples,’ that is, types of weapons now prohibited-to her. I had asked to be informed by the German Government exactly what they meant by •samples,’ I had reminded her Foreign Minister that we had been promised this information We were not the only Government who were waiting for it. What happened when the German claim was formally re-stated? I There cannot be the least doubt that instead of defining what was meant by ‘samples’ the claim was for substantial rearmament from the very be- | ginning. I very much regret to see ! that Baron von Neurath, in addressing the Foreign Press, has been accusing me of taking a false view as to this, and indeed of mis-stating facts. I am perfectly ready to publish the documents and records, to show it, and indeed, in view of what he said, the British Government Is entitled to do so. Widening the Breach. "There is not the slightest doubt,” added Mr Henderson, "that the attitude taken up by the German Government at the present moment represented a further widening of the breach, and that all the good work which has been put into the recent j conversations by all of us, with mutual I goodwill, is jeopardised. If not pre- | eluded, by this new attitude. I voice [ the thought of the British Government as a whole when I say that nothing shall be left undone In future to attain the success of an honest and ; honourable compact, u|>on which the j hopes of mankind for the future peace i of the world are largely dependent”