MUCH CONCERNED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20277, 11 April 1934, Page 1

MUCH CONCERNED.

Britain Anxious Over Arms Situation. MR HENDERSON’S WARNING British Official Wireless. (Received April 11, 10.50 am.) RUGBY, April 10. At to-day’s meeting of the Bureau of the Disarmament Conference at Geneva Mr Arthur Henderson was empowered to summon the Bureau’s next meeting on or about April 30. and the Gen-ral Commission later than May 23, if the state of negotiati .ns was then such as tc make a further delay desirable in the interests of reaching an understanding. During the meeting Mr Henderson made a striking appeal to all members of the Conference not to abandon the great enterprise they had begun and to avoid the error of supposing that their difficulties would be diminished by whittling down what they had set out to achieve. He warned them that a new armaments race was beginning, although it had not yet gained much momentum, and there was nothing to warrant the conclusion that a further effort towards disarmament would be unfruitful. Captain Eden, after reviewing the British negotiations with Paris, Berlin and Rome, said that there were still great difficulties to be surmounted, and the British proposals would require further modification, although his Government still preferred the terms of its original draft. Nevertheless if an agreement was sincerely desired bv all concerned it ought to be possible. The British Government was, however much concerned at the continued delav and the changes in the situation while an agreement was being sought.