NOTES PUBLISHED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20285, 20 April 1934, Page 1

NOTES PUBLISHED.

Disarmament Hopes Dashed by French Reply. GERMANY DISTRUSTED. British Official Wireless. RUGBY, April IS. Further memoranda on tht subject of the problem of disarmament which are contained in a White Paper published to-night, include Notes that have passed between the Governments of France, Germany and Great Britain, a statement of the views of the Italian Government, and the text of a memorandum received last week from Danish Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish and Swiss delegations to the Disarmament Conference. The last-mentioned memorandum states that in view of the gravity of the situation it is the duty of the signatories to take into serious consideration any reasonable proposal for increasing the guarantees within the limits of the acknowledged obligations of the Covenant of the League of Nations, and for taking into account the special situation occupied by any state in the League of Nations. “In this connection,” it is -pointed out, “Germany’s return to the League would undoubtedly represent an important contribution to the solution of the grave problem of collective security.” On this subject the German Government, in a statement of its views communicated to the British Government on April 16, declares that it considers that Germany’s return to the League can only be dealt with after solution of the questions of disarmament, and, above all, of their equality of rights. Subject to that and other important modifications, the German Government expresses its readiness to accept the British Memorandum as a basis for a convention. It states that Germany finds it impossible to wait two years for appropriate means of aerial defence. Germany wishes to possess a defensive air force of short-range machines, not including bombing aeroplanes, from the beginning of the convention, the numerical strength of which .would not exceed 30 per cent of the combined air forces of Germany's neighbours, or 50 per cent of the military aircraft possessed by France, whichever was the less. This claim the German Government makes without prejudice to the result of the air inquiry, which should at least abolish bombers. Germany claims that after the first five years the necessary reductions and increases should have been made, so that she should attain full equality of numbers with the principal air Powers at the end of ten years after the coming into operation of the convention. Other proposals made in the United Kingdom Memorandum, such, for example, as supervision, are accepted by the German Government. Negotiations Destroyed. The French Foreign Secretary, in a Note on the subject of guarantees of the execution of the convention, points Qut that the British communication was received simultaneously with the publication of Germany’s 1934-35 Budget, which showed increases in the expenses of the army, the navy and the air . force amounting to 352,000,000 marks. In reality, the German Government, without awaiting the results of the negotiations which were in progress, wished to impose its determination to continue every form of re-arma-ment, within limits of which it claims to be the sole judge, in contempt of the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, which, in the absence of any other convention, continues to govern its armaments. “ Facts of such exceptional gravity can lead to only one observation and conclusion,” says the Note. “ They prove that the German Government, whether of set purpose or not, has made impossible the negotiations, the basis of which it has by its own act destroyed even before seeking to discover whether an agreement coulfi be obtained upon a system of guarantees sufficiently efficacious to permit the signature of a convention which would result in the substantial rearmament of Geramny. “ France must place in the forefront, of her preoccupations the conditions of her own security, which she does not separate from that cf the other interested Powers. The return of Germany to the League might have furnished an opportunity and a means of dissipating at least in part these preoccupations. The presence of Germany at the Geneva Assembly would be no less indispensable for the realisation of a satisfactory system of guarantees of execution. On this point of capital importance, however, Captain Eden was not able to bring from Berlin any favourable solution, and the silence observed in the course of the most recent communications does not permit of better hopes. “ The experiences of the last war, the horrors of which France had to endure more than any other country, imposes on her the duty of showing prudence. She appreciates the friendly action of the British Government in wishing to seek with her effective guarantees for the execution of a convention, and she regrets that the action of a third party should abruptly have rendered vain such negotiations.” Bearing Upon the Treaty of Versailles. (Received April 20, 12.30 p.m ) RUGBY, April 19. Asked whether, now that he had ieceived a reply from the German Government in regard to its increased expenditure on armaments, he could make a statement as to its bearing on the Treaty of Versailles and if he intended to take any action. Captain Eden replied on behalf of Sir John Simon that he was unable at present to make any further statement.