PREVENTION OF WAR

Evening Star, Issue 19799, 24 February 1928, Page 4

PREVENTION OF WAR

SOVIET DISARMAMENT SCHEME

TOTAL ABOLITION OF FORGES

GENEVA, February 22,

With tbs Security ConunittoD proDeeding smoothly ana the British standpoint winning over _ practically all others represented, chief interest centres in tho publication of the test of the Soviet disarmament scheme, which is much more detailed than last year s. The Soviet proposes that the Powers should sign a convention providing for complete world disarmament m four stages. Tho first year would certainly be a hectic one, tor in it half of ad Jand, sea, and air effectives would bo disbanded, and the remainder would disappear during the three lolloping years in equal parts. iVlimstries *ivul commands would bo wiped out, all military documents would bo burned, Acts of Parliament jelating to military and kindred matters would lie repealed, and material scrapped. Tho thoroughness "illy which all avcntualities are foreseen is shown by article 10, which stipulstes that no more military history should be written. Pictures, photographs, and films of past, wars must' he relegated to oblivion, and no one must write about war. even theoretically.

When ail this is done a maritime police service is to be established lor the protection of fisheries and cables, and the suppression ol piracy and the slave trade, for which purpose the waters of tho globe arc. to be divided into sixteen zones, of which the Pacific and the Atlantic count four each, the Indian and the Arctic Oceans two each, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the North and the Black Seas one each. In these what may be termed sea mandates will bo created, and regional groups of States will be responsible for the allotted /.ones, which will bo patrolled by maritime police vessels not exceeding 3,000 tons, armed with not more than two guns and manned by volunteer crews armed with not moio than twenty rifles or pistols. The ‘ Daily Express ’ correspondent says it was amusing to see the delegates airily pick up the drafts and begin to read them. There came a gasp as Lord Cushcndun said; “I think the proposals must be seriously _ and solemnly examined on their merits. They should not be rejected, because they como from Moscow.” The Canadian delegate (Dr Liddell) suggested that security would be morfc effectively advanced by disarmament than by pledges of armed assistance. Tho absence of armed forces on the boundary between the United States and Canada promoted confidence and banished fears and suspicions, which were the enemies of security. He called attention to the desirableness of Slates having similar geographical difficulties considering the establishment of a permanent commission composed of equal