THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1928, Page 2

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

v CONFERENCE CONCLUDES. Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) , 0 GENEVA, March 2-1. .p The Disarmament Commission has s _ ended. It did so cordially, after a day spent in the discussion of a German proposal to fix a definite date for a , Disarmament Conference . This was (1 rejected, as also was the wording of a iq resolution for the shelving of M. Litvinoff’s draft convention. The Commission from this deleted the words: "The Soviet draft corresponds with the ideal of mankind, blit, under exising conditions, is incapable of exeeut tion.” M. Jiitvinofl' (Soviet delegate) was disappointed. He reiterated that ho did not see why the Commission should v decline the first reading. ,j- A resolution was eventually adopted. It declared: "The Soviet draft is not , acceptable. The Commission must . pursue lines already mapped out. but n ii proinsios to consider a new Soviet draft next session, which if possible, will precede the next assembly.” The Chairman, in a valedictory speech, said that he hoped the Soviet ._ would then come in a constructive, and n not in a destructive spirit. M. Litvinoff paid a tribute to the League Secretariat’s work, especially to the disarmament section. Lord ( ushciidun remarked that it ll was the first time they had had pleasure in associating themselves with M. i. Litvinotr. (Laughter.) ' BRITAIN’S LATEST PROPOSAL. GENEVA, March 24. Lord Cushcndun (Britain) has ad- ] dressed a note to the American, Japanese. and French representatives on the Disarmament Commission, explain* , ing that, when replying to M. Litviuoff oil March 20th. lie was compelled to refer indefinitely to Britain’s roadiI ness to reduce the size of her capital ships. He says he now is able to reveal the British proposals. , The proposals arc:—Firstly, the re- ( duel ion of the size of bat tleships from thirty-live thousand tons to under 1 thirty thousand tons; secondly. the reduction in the size of gnus trom sixteen inches to 13.5 inches; thirdly, an extension of the life of battleships I from twenty-years to twcnty-=ix years or thereabouts, involving the waiving ' of power rights under the Washington I Treaty. Lord c'ushendun urges that these reductions, if accepted, should he intro- ’ duced to enable their effectiveness before replacement under treaty. He adds that the proposals are a great step towards disarmament, and would ensure considerable economics. SOVIET’S NEW SCHEME. GENEVA. March 24. The Soviet Delegation has distributed a new scheme for partial and progressive disarmament, comprising the reduction of land, sea and air forces, ’ also providing for the international control of disarmament. The scheme ' divides the countries into four groups, of which the countries possessing two hundred thousand troops will reduce them by half. The next group with forty thousand will reduce them by one-third. The same system is applied to the I navies. Thus the countries with two hundred thousand tonnage would re- ’ duce it hv half. The country with less than two hundred thousand ton nage would reduce it by a-quartcr. The scheme also advocates the abolition within twelve months ol all the military aircraft. There is not the slightest chance of the scheme being discussed at the present session. It is generally ielt that it had been prepared before the Soviet delegates arrived at Geneva in the event of the earlier Soviet proposals not being supported. Lord Cushendim in nil interview with journalists, said he had in h’s possession and would produce figures showing enormous expenditure that the Soviet incurred in furnishing China with arms, which was sufficient pmol of (he Soviet's desire to provoke civil . war.