GENEVA CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1927, Page 2

GENEVA CONFERENCE

PROPOSAL SHELVED TILL FEBRUARY. (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) GENEVA, Nov. 30. Benes trounched Litvinoff and showed that liis proposals were not even new. He instanced the Norwegian proposal in 1922 for the abolition of all armaments. This subject, had been examined to the very foundation. A commission would undoubtedly find it impossible to accept Litvinoff’s proposals, therefore it was best to revert to the agenda and consider the appointment of a special commission on security and Arbitration.

Bones concluded by resenting Litvinoff’s criticisms of the work of the League. It was evident that Benes reflected tlie gcUtfral opinion' -of the delegations. Other speakers expressed themselves similarly. The Russian, Dunaohnrsky rose in an endeavour to remove the impression created by Litvinoff’s speech. He den-,, led any attempt to frustrate cess of the disarmament commission. Politis declared that no civilised state could dispense with armed forces altogether. London interposed to ask whether the Conference wanted to continue or postpone the discussion, as he understood the Soviet delegation was willing that the discussion should end, if they could return to tlie subject ort the second reading of the draft convention. Bernstorff seeing like everybody else the way the wind was blowing, proposed this, adding the opinion that Litvinoff’s eritcism had been too severe.

Eventually this was agreed to; Bernstorff’s motion providing for a second reading a month before the next meeting of the council, therefore February. The question of the Security Commission was then raised, Mr Hugh AA’ilson, on behalf of the United States making a statement regarding the decision not to participate. He declared that the United States was convinced that so far as its rights in tlie Pacific were concerned, a four power pact concluded between Britain, United States, Japan and France was adequate for security. Litvinoff also intimated that Russia did not desire to be represented, as it believed that such a commission won' T diminish the importance of the Disarmament- Conference and no real results would be- obtained. The commission then, at the suggestion of Loudon, assented to Russia being represented. While the Commission was sitting Briand was already answering Litvinoff in the Chamber of Deputies at | Paris. He asked if we flung away your | arms, how are we to he sure others will do the same thing at the same time. He mentioned that in Russia recently seven hundred thousand men had carried out manoeuvres, whereas France, when the new army reorganisation was carried out, would have a standing force of only 450,000 compared with 990,000 in 1914.