DISARMAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 137, 6 December 1929, Page 11

DISARMAMENT

ACCELERATION URGED

ELSE WAR INEVITABLE

LLOYD GEORGE OUTSPOKEN

British Official Wireless.

(Received Oth December, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, sth December.

A vigorous speech on tlio necJ for accelerating international disarmament was made- in the House of Commons last night by Mr. Lloyd George, when an omnibus-motion favouring disarmament and the co-ordination of tho British fighting services in the Ministry of Defence was under discussion. TheLiberal ex-Prime Minister took as his text President Hoover's recent speech which pointed out that, though there was peace in tho world to-day, there were also powerful armies, including reservists. Mr. Lloyd George contended that the world had 10,000,000 more men trained to arms than in 1914, and 75 times as many armaments they could use. COMMISSION CRITICISED. Ho criticised severely the slow progress made by tho Disarmament Commission of tho League- of Nations and the delay among tho Allied Powers in carrying out the disarmament pledges made iv tho Versailles Treaty. Without disarmament war, in his judgment was inevitable. Ho added: '"'You are not going to get peace with 30,000,000 army men in tho world and gigantic armaments. Tho chariot of peace cannot advance along a road clustered with cannon. You must break up the machinery of hatred and convert it into, a mechanism of peace and progress." Intervening later in a speech by Sir Samuel Hoare, Mr. Lloyd George admitted that Britain had done more than any other country for disarmament ana had abolished conscription, reduced her army below the pre-war level, and had been first to reduce her Navy after tho Washington' Conference. RELATIVE AIR STRENGTH. Sir Samuel Hoaro, who was Air Minister in the last Government, compared the relative positions .of air armaments of the leading Powers. He stated that expenditure on air had risen since 1925 in Italy "by 28 per cent., in France by 92 per cent., and in , the United States by 120 per cent., c-xclu-sivo of tho cost of civil aviation. In Great Britain it had been lowered by 10 per cent. He thought it might bo possible to agree on a parity in air strength between Great Britain, France, and Italy, but tho main thing in all disarmament negotiations was to split the problem up and secure reductions in moro immediately practicable directions.

DANGER ADMITTED,

Replying for the Government, Mr. A. V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, agreed that grave risk continued so long as nations refrained from making a mutual progress towards disarmament. As long as such a reserve of possible and immediate inflammable material existed, so long would there be constant danger of an outbreak of conflagration. Mr. Alexander said that the present Government had devoted a largo portion of its attention to the matter of disarmament, and would eoutinuo to do absolutely everything in its power to that end.