DISARMAMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 28 April 1927, Page 5

DISARMAMENT.

CONFERENCE AT GENEVA. WORK OF COMMISSION. 1 Press Association-Electric Telegraph-Copyright. GENEVA, Wednesday. The Preparatory Disarmament 'Commission has reached unanimity regarding the article .undertaking to abstain from poison gas, bacteriological warfare and preparation for the same in peace time; also prohibiting the importation and exporation and manufacture of substances intended for chemical warfare. The “Morning Post’s” Geneva correspondent says .that, striving to feign optimism, the Preparatory Disarmament Commission has closed. The constructive results are chiefly a revelation of the almost insuperable difficulties in the way of disarmament, or even of limitation of armaments. Everyone admits that President Coolidge’s ThreePower Naval Conference in June will largely determine whether the League’s scheme of real disarmament will advance farther at the next meeting in November. The President’s closing, remarks to-day hardly concealed his pessimism arid disappointment. 'Count Bernstorff received pressmen after the conference closed, when he declared that disarmament was theLeague’s true role, but the various Governments’ instructions to delegates showed little desire for actual disarmament. Germany’s objective was not stabilisation of armaments, but a real reduction of naval, military and air personnel and material. . !