DEMAND FOR ARMS EMBARGO

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19802, 18 May 1934, Page 9

DEMAND FOR ARMS EMBARGO

ECHO OF CLASH IN AMERICA MR BALDWIN’S PLAIN STATEMENT British Official Wireless RUGBY, May 16. Mr Baldwin, on behalf of the Foreign Secretary, replied to a Parliamentary question calling attention to a statement that arms were being imported to Bolivia and Paraguay from America and Europe. With regard to questions a suggestion that irrespective of the action of foreign armament factories, licenses should be withheld for such exports from Britain, Mr Baldwin said he feared no useful purpose would be served by such a course, since an embargo to be effective must be enforced at least by the principal arms manufacturing countries, several of which had not yet expressed their readiness to co-oper-ate. Recapitulating the history of the proposal for an arms embargo, Mr Baldwin said it was on the initiative of the British Government that the exchange of views originally took place more than a year ago, between the Governments of the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Italy, with a view to agreement between them to prohibit the export of arms to Bolivia and Paraguay. Subsequently the British Government, with the cooperation of the French Government, submitted a memorandum to the League Council, in February, 1933, suggesting that steps should be taken under the Covenant to recommend Governments to impose this embargo. A draft declaration to be signed by the Governments in favour of this step was considered by the Council, and accepted by all States, the members of the Council, including the United Kingdom. A number of States made acceptance subject to the acceptance of a declaration by a specified number of other States, including the United States. The Government of the United States, however, stated that it was unable to impose an embargo until the necessary legislation was passed by Congress, and no such legislation had been passed.