THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1928, Page 2

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

GREAT BRITAIN’S PART. STATK.AiENT liV I.OHI) (TSHENIK’N. Australian Press Association A Sun.i BCCBY. Alari h 21. Tlio statement made by Count C'lauzcl < m-t- > at the Cenova I’l'fparatnrv Cominis.sion on Disarmament on Tlmr-.iliiy. i liar important conversations were proceeding wli ic-li would make .-.moother the path to disnriiiiuiiont, was corroborated at yesterday’s session by the Brit ish delegate, land C'uslieniliin. lie said that although any conversi lions that might be proceeding so as Britain was concerned, were not i Ins bands, and therefore ho was n< in a position to give definite informs lion as to the precise stage reached. Ii knew enough lo say that Count Clai zcl bad every justification for the ii formation he bad given. At the close of the session. Lor Cnsliendnn made a .statement to tli Press in which, referring to A!. Liivii nil’s reply to bis criticism, lie said tin it amounted lo an admission that tli Soviet did not regard civil Mar as wai The main case against the Soviet Hi public was not that it fought its ow subjects, out that its whole worl policy was to create civil war. He wa in possession of authentic figures show mg that enormous sums had bee spent by the Soviet in supplying arm to the Chinese Nationalists. (Iron Britain’s part at Shanghai had bee taken purely for the protection of tli lives of British subjects and their pn perty and incidentally those of otlie Europeans. It also revealed Britain’ chief difficulty in the matter of db armament. Although it would bo rein lively easy for some countries to imli cate their essential needs for their ii ternal security. Croat Britain lmd al ways to keen before her eyes possibib ties like that of Shanghai. Foreign nations always oxpeote Britain to lead, and there was considerable feeling in England ii self that we ought" to disarm minnow because no war was imminent From flic view of tactics it woub have been better if England bad don notbing. What a sensation could tliei have been made if the British delegat had been able to state that Britain wa prepared to scrap say 1000 fighting ships of a total tonnage of 2,000,000 Vet as a matter of fact Britain bai done this largely from Ibe point n view of economy. Again, despiti France's overwhelming superiority it the air. Croat Britain had bad no liosi tatiou in reducing her Croat AYa strength- of air squadrons. It wa: Cleat Britain which bad prepared tin first draft convention for tbo reduetim of armaments. Finally. Lord Cusbomlun expressei bis’ desire for a greater admixture al Cenevn of realism with idealism am more patience by all those who wort seeking disarmament.