The Christchurch Star PUBLISHED BY New Zealand Newspapers Ltd. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1932. THE FRENCH ATTITUDE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 492, 29 June 1932, Page 6

The Christchurch Star PUBLISHED BY New Zealand Newspapers Ltd. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1932. THE FRENCH ATTITUDE.

THE QUANDABY into which the British, French and Japanese delegates at Lausanne are thrown through the stoppage of conversations on President Hoover’s disarmament proposals is the more difficult because the decisions of this conference are permanently binding. France in particular is not likely to abandon the principle she has held through all the discussions, that disarmament can advance only with the assurance of security. Speaking on this aspect of the question a month ago, M. Boncour declared that the maintenance of this attitude was the more likely because the Tardieu plan, narrowly examined, proved a precise adaptation to the disarmament principles of the Geneva protocol outlined by the French delegation to Geneva in 1924. M. Herriot was then Prime Minister, and as M. Boncour said, “ It is difficult to imagine the abandonment of the principles of the protocol by those who are proud of having made them a part of the French foreign policy.” France still regards the internal condition of Germany and the growth of the Hitler movement with apprehension. At the same time, she keeps a vigilant eye upon the balance between her own debts and her credits. Indeed, the position of the French taxpayer is repeatedly put forward as the raison d’etre for much of her tardiness. A STEADY FIGURE. AMONG the small mercies relating to unemployment may be included the official announcement to-day that registrations for the past week are comparatively steady at 54,140, an increase for the week of only 18, which is the small- . est rise for a considerable time, and is all the more significant in midwinter. The figures are also a corrective to Mr Coates’s exaggerated report of 70,000, and they should tend to discourage any suggestion of an increase in the wage tax, CATHEDRAL SQUARE. qpHE “ parties interested,” who are said to be considering in camera a new design for the Cathedral Square reserve are a decidedly mysterious quantity, for it ought to have come home very strongly to local legislators that the only “ parties ” interested, if this colloquial term may be applied to them, are the citizens of Christchurch. There is really no reason, therefore, why any plan should be dealt with in private, and least of all if it gives even the slightest ground for the suspicion that it may contemplate a further alienation of the public rights in this much coveted reserve. RUGBY RULINGS. OTRICT UNIFORMITY in the rules of Rugby may be desirable, although New Zealand and Australia have practised slight variations of the code without embarrassing their international rivals, but the demands of the English Union where they offend colonial susceptibilities are not concerned with the playing rules, and it is not surprising that the major unions in New Zealand are becoming highly restive, and are demanding a conference on the subject, with a breakaway in the background. In this matter they ought to be able to count on the co-operation of Australia, and maybe South Africa, for it is almost childish to insist that teams shall not leave the playing field at half-time for fear that professional touts may buy or sell them, and it is repugnant to colonial ideas of sportsmanship that injured players should not be replaced. No ruling which might lead to the deliberate disabling of a player, or to the encouragement of men to go on playing when they ought to be on the sideline, is in accordance with British sporting tradition. If, however, England desires to tie herself down by these conservative customs. New Zealand would be quite glad to fall in with them on international tours, but in these and other matters connected with the welfare of the game the Dominion ought to be master in its owfi house.