PERMANENT BODY TO CONTROL ARMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19239, 28 November 1930, Page 1

PERMANENT BODY TO CONTROL ARMS.

NATIONS AT GENEVA SET UP COMMISSION. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) GENEVA, November 26. Considerable progress has been made by the Preparatory Disarmament Commission, which is meeting here. To-day the British proposal that a Permanent Disarmament Commission should be set up at Geneva to supervise the execution of the Convention for the control of armaments, was passed unanimously. A clause proposed by the United States permitting a nation to deviate from the Convention when its national security was menaced, was adopted by 23 votes to 1. M. Lunacharsky, Russia, was the only dissentient. The debate on the second reading of the Convention, during which several difficult issues were surmounted, was closed on Tuesday, and the third reading was taken on Wednesday. A British amendment to the article on the policy of expenditure was adopted. It provided that each of the high contracting parties should communicate to the Secretary-General of the League a statement in model form showing the actual total amount expended on land, sea and air forces during the preceding financial year. It shall at the same time communicate to the Secretary-General a statement showing the amount annually expended during the preceding financial year on the upkeep, purchase and manufacture of war material, as defined in the Convention. The article concerning naval effectives was also accepted. It is proposed that the tables relating to naval effectives should indicate the total naval forces in the form of the aggregate figures for officers, non-commissioned officers and men together. It is understood that separate particulars will be furnished in the annual statement of the number of officers and men who have completed a certain period of active service. DISARMAMENT SCHEME IS BRIEFLY OUTLINED. (Received November 28, noon). RUGBY, November 27. The scheme for a Permanent Disarmament Commission at Geneva is briefly stated as follows: The Governments shall appoint members of this Permanent Commission not as their representatives, but in respect to their qualifications for duties following the execution of the proposed Disarmament Convention. The Commission would meet annually, or, if special necessity arises, more frequently every year.' It would make at least one report to be submitted to the League Council and all the States which are signatories of the Convention. In connection with the United States clause it is pointed out that the purpose of the article was not to enable the signatories to avoid their obligations, but to provide for exceptional circumstances, which, it is hoped, would never arise.