FURTHER DETAILS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 121, 18 November 1932, Page 8

FURTHER DETAILS

(Received 18th November,.3 p.m.)"

LONDON,' 17th. November.

The feature of the proposals which' attracted the most attention was the suggestion for an ; immediate drastic reduction in air forces as the first stage to total elimination. In considering the proposals that countries, including Britain, which possess large air armaments, should reduce them to two-thirds of the present size of the present British .force, it should be-re-membered, said' Sir John Simon, that, although Britain now stood only fifth in size among the world air Powers, she did possess at the end of the war the largest ,and most powerful air force in the" world, which-she had since reduced unilaterally. ■ . " A further immediate measure proposed was the limitation of the unladen weight of military aircraft to the lowest figure generally agreed to. Pending the examination of these proposals it is considered not unreasonable to expect Germany to withhold any claim to possess military^ aircraft. Regarding land armaments the limitation of mobile guns to 105 millimetres— Germany's limit as prescribed by the treaty—and the abolition of tanks above a given weight fixed to exclude those suitable for offensive operations, are - the- most: -strikingfeatures. '

_ Regarding the naval proposals, which include a reduced size for battleships and cruisers and the abolition of submarines, further conversations are now proceeding at Geneva between representatives of the chief naval Powers. . Sir John Simon emphasised that the immense armament reductions made in recent years by Britain precluded her from going further without general agreement. : •■ s