STRAIGHT TALK.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 151, 12 September 1928, Page 3

STRAIGHT TALK.

M. BRIAND AND GERMANY. (By Cable.—Press Assn.—Copyright) (Australian Press Assn.—United Service). GENEVA, September 11. M. Briand, at the Geneva Conference, replying to Herr Mueller, said: “We are not party politicians sitting in international congress, but men taking into account every factor affecting world peace. I have often been accused of being a mere speechmaker, not a man of action. I am confident that Herr Mueller does not share that view. The Locarno Pact was not a speech.” Herr Mueller had demanded general disarmament. He exclaimed, ‘‘Look at Germany! Why do not all other States disarm too?” ‘‘lt is inexact to say that Gei many is entirely disarmed, said M. Briand. ‘‘She possesses an army of 100,000 officers and non-coms, to form an army’s cadre, and behind them is an immense and magnificent reservoir of trained and courageous men, who showed such heroism and military skill in the Great War and who are capable of rejoining the color- for another ten years. Herr Mueller himself would admit that if he regarded the matter from another viewpoint than propaganda.”

PRESS COMMENT.

AN OUTSPOKEN REJOINDER. THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW PATH. (Received This day, 0.20 a.in.) LONDON, September 11. The Paris Press generally approves of M. Brnind’s speech, asserting that M. Briand gave an outspoken rejoinder to Herr Mueller's insinuation of double-dealing. The “Petit Parisien” said the speech was the most perfect in form nrid substance of all the pronouncements M. Briand had made. The “Echo dc Paris” is of opinion that it was tactical move designed to slow down progress somewhat, and register some resistance to the insistence of Germanv’s claims.

“Le Matin” thinks M. Briand wanted to recall Oermanv to the straight and narrow path of national reconciliation along which progress could onlv he made with prudence also without looking hack. “Ganlois” considers the German pre«s descriptions of the sneoeh arc as de«cer»tive as the highest rvaise. Socialist nowsnnnors; consider the sneoeh gave the lie to the hopes raised hr the signature of the Kpllo***? Pact and describe it as characteristic of the now French Policv.

“TTmnnnitio.” a Uommunisf organ' koo« in the speech the programme of imnonalistie France.

SPTRTT OF COVENANT. BET NO OBSERVED BY BRITAIN GREATER CONFIDENCE NEEDED (Received Th ? s dav. 9.55 a.m.) GENEVA. September 11. Tn the Assembly Lord Cnshendnn said he appreciated Herr Mueller’s disappointment at the slow disarmament process. On the other hand, ho thought Herr "Mueller did not appreciate (he disarmament difficulties, owing to the States’ conflicting views thereon, but there was no need to despair. A great amount of disarmament had alrondv occurred. The personnel of the British nnvv had already been reduced bv forty thousand los< than in 1014. while she had scrapped over two hundred war vessels totalling two million tons. Britain also had largely reduced her armv and air force. Tt was therefore incorrect to suggest that since the covenant, whatever might be the case elsewhere. Britain had not so far drastically reduced her armaments with the spirit of the League. He gave the tallest possible assurance that his Government intended to carry out to the letter and spirit of the covenant their obligations. They were anxious to find a common ground for which thev had earnestly striven, to reconcile anglo-Freneh views regarding naval disarmament, on which thev had reached a compromise. When negotiatin'.' with a number of the States it was neecssarv to eliminate differences one bv one. if unacceptable to other States, who were equally entitled to express their views. Partnerships could onlv be provisional. Then it might he necessary to search for a fresh basis of common action He felt confident that an agreement was possible if all were less distrustful of each other, and “if critics were less ready to attribute to us hidden designs and ulterior motives, of which w e are entirely innocent, and which do not exist outside the critics’ imagination.” Lord Cushcndun. in conclusion, said what the world chiefly needed was less suspicion and distrust and greater confidence among nations which he hoped would he one of the results of the Kellogg Pact.