DISARMAMENT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 28 November 1930, Page 13

DISARMAMENT.

WORK OF PREPARATORY COMMISSION. BRITISH AMENDMENTS TO CONVENTION. (BBITISB OryiCIAX WIRELESS.) (Received November 27th, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, November 26. Considerable progress has been made during the last few days by the Preparatory Disarmament Commission at Geneva. This was continued yesterday, when it was decided to close the second reading of the draft Convention, during which several difficult issues were surmounted. The third reading will begin to-day on the text of the Convention as it now stands. The British amendment to the article on the policy of expenditure was adopted yesterday. It provided that esch of the high contracting parties shall communicate to the SecretaryGeneral of the League of Nations a statement in model form showing the actual total amount expended on land, sea, and air forces during the preceding financial year. It shall, at the same time, communicate to the Secre-tary-General a statement showing the amount annually expended during the preceding financial year on the upkeep, purchase, and manufacture of war material as defined in the Convention. The article concerning naval effectives was also accepted. It proposed that the tables relating to naval effectives should indicate the total nsval forces in the form of aggregate figures for officers, non-commissioned officers and men together. It was understood that separate particulars would be furnished in tho annual statement of the number of officers and men who had completed a certain period, to be decided, of active service.

A PERMANENT COMMISSION IMPORTANT PROPOSAL - ADOPTED. (TTKITSD PBKSB ASSOCIATION —B* ELECTItIC TELEOHArH—COPtttIOHT.) (Received November 27th, 6.5 p.m.) GENEVA, November '27 Disarmament Commission unanimously carried the British proposal to establish a permanent disarmament commission nt Geneva to supervise the of the convention. Lord Cecil described the commission aa a great step towards the reduction of armaments. The clause proposed by the t nited States permitting a nation to devi-ite uom the convention when its national security was menaced, was adopted by 23 votes to 1. 51. Lunacharsky was tho only dissentient.