The Wanganui Chronicle MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1928. DISARMAMENT DISCUSSIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20105, 26 March 1928, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1928. DISARMAMENT DISCUSSIONS

JFJISARMAMBN'T, again prominent in the cable news, Is a sub

ject which the public may be pardoned for regarding not only with lack of interest but with active scepticism. For six years now it has been debated in the League Assembly and its committees, and yet, according to competent authorities, the armies of Europe, though a million less in numbers, are actually superior in striking power.

The obvious result, of these debates has been the evolution of a sort of technique of disarmament, so that the newspaper reader is bewildered and perhaps irritated by talk of sub-committees, preparatory committees, security committees, nan-aggression pacts, bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties, arbitration agreements, and so forth.

Still, if six years of discussion has done nothing more than show the difficulties in the way, but yet has interested all nations in the problem of removing them, the time will not have been wasted; and, after all, it was only the simple who supposed that a process that, has been going on since the beginning of history could be arrested in a decade. When Russia, for example, after making a belated entry into the negotiations, advances a scheme for complete disarmament within four years and then aceuses the other nations of insincerity when they reject it, she invites the same charge against herself. According to the cable news, M. Litvinoff is persisting in pushing Russia’s wholly impracticable schemes, hoping, it is alleged, that the Preparatory Commission will definitely reject it and enable Russia to play the part of a martyr. It may seem remarkable that Count Bernstorff, the German delegate, should welcome M. Litvinoff’s plan with some show of enthusiasm, but it is open to question whether he is entirely disinterested. It will be remembered that when the Soviet, delegation put forward their scheme at the end of last year, it was Count Bernstorff who saved it from immediate rejection, and at the time this was interpreted as a diplomatic overture. Germany, no doubt, interprets the preamble to the Treaty of Versailles to mean that, once Germany lias been partially disarmed, the other signatories must follow suit, and by keeping Russia in the disarmament negotiations she gains at least one supporter at. Geneva. Count Bernstorff, by occasional references to the possible revision of Article 19 of the Covenant, has also given rise to the impression that Germany has not abandoned hope of a readjustment of her eastern frontiers, a matter in which she might expect Russian support.

But we go into these details only to show the futility of regarding disarmament as a problem which can be solved by some airy scheme which takes no cognisance of practical politics.