RUSSIA AND DISARMAMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19988, 3 November 1927, Page 6

RUSSIA AND DISARMAMENT

The news that Russia is prepared to join in the disarmament discussions at Geneva is naturally enough being regarded as of the highest importance. Russia has for years past been the greatest obstacle to the establishment of a peaceful world atmosphere. Her huge standing army—the greatest on earth—her world-wide subversive propaganda, her interference in the domestic concerns of other nations, her frequent threats of-war and revolution and her consistently truculent attitude towards her next-door and less powerful neighbours have kept the nerves, not only of Europe, but of the. whole world, on edge for years past. The effect has inevitably been to create an atmosphere of readiness for trouble, which has led nervous nations to imagine it where perhaps it did not exist. Consequently, if Russia be really in earnest and be ready to give effective guarantees of her good intention, there will be a very material clearing of the international outlook which will later on be reflected in reduced armaments and decreased military budgets. Perhaps it would be begging the question to look too closely into Russia’s sincerity in the matter. But, in view of her behaviour during the past, decade, pertinent inquiries are bound to be made in this respect and it must be for Russia herself to satisfy them. If the Soviet, no matter from what motive, really do desire to turn over a new leaf and work amicably with the rest of the ’world instead of trying to upset it, co-operation in disarmament will be far easier than it is to-day. But it is up to the Soviet to convince the world that the desire really exists, and that its protestation of amity is not a mere pose.