WILL IT AGREE?

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 28 November 1927, Page 5

WILL IT AGREE?

PREPARATORY DISARMAMENT COMMISSION DRAFT CONVENTION FOR LIMITATION RUSSIA’S PARTICIPATION. (British Official Wireless.] (Received 28, 12.30 p.m.) Rugby, November 26. Lord Cusendun. who succeeds Lord Cecil as British representative to the League of Nations will leave London to-morrow for Geneva, where the preparatory commission on disarmament will, on Wednesda- resume its attempt to agree on a draft convention for the limitation of armaments. If such agreement is reached, a full international conference on world disarmament will be convened next year When the Commission held its last meeting on the spring of this vear. Lord Cecil expressed the opinion that: “If the countries represented at Geneva really desire a draft convention for the limitation of armaments which shall state the orintriples gnd methods whereby such limitation obtainable, that agreement is within their grasp ” I»:eie was, however, a common leservation in tlw minds of all those who worked in the Commission that, as Russia was not a party to the work, it was clear that no convincing undertaking about disarmament could be drafted. This week, by contrast, Litvinoff and Lunacharsky will represent Russia. “OBSERVER’S” REMARKS. The “Observer” to-day remarks event into the firstmfwypmfwypmfn that Russian participation transforms the prospects of next Wednesday's event into the first clear opportunity for effective progress towards technical disarmament on land. The statement made by Sir Austen Chamberlain last Thursday when the subject of disarmament was debated in the House of Commons, has lelt the world with no excuse for misunderstanding Great Britain's policy. The protocol has been buried as a tactical mistake, but any effective means to peace and disarmament will be supported by intense British sincerity.