ARMAMENTS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1929, Page 5

ARMAMENTS

DISCUSSION AT GENEVA

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received this dnv at 10.30. a.m.) RUGBY, April 29.

In the discussion of Land Armaments at Geneva Lord Ciishendun said it was quite true, as the French dele gate had said, that the question of distinction between limitation and reduction bad already been discussed and settled, blit nevertheless it was very important to bear in mind tile distinction between the two, because if a reduction were to be substituted for limitation in this connection, they might very well lie going he.vond the obligations of Article 3 of the Covenant, which laid down there should lie a reduction to a level comparable with national safety.. One could not toll at’ present what nations, if any, had already reduced to that level and consequently if they were to insist upon a reduction as well as limitation, in the present convention, they might very well lie going beyond the obligations of Article S. Great Britain had canned out consistently for many years and continues a reduction of land armaments. At the end of the war Britain had a very large military force produced by compulsory service, which was an exceptional system for her. Britain immediately returned to the voluntary service, but even oil that small level, which compared with conscriptionist nations, was a very small army. Britain had been controlled and reducing in proof of that proposition, lie said, compared with the. pre-war army. Britain had reduced nine cavalry regiments, twenty-one infantry battalions, and sixt.v-oiic artillery batteries, but in the last five years bad progressively reduced the military budget. In 1925 irrespective of pensions, the British military budget was £3!>,500,000. in 192(5 £3-1.500,000, in 1927 €33.333,000, in 1928 £32,750,090, and in the present vear £‘32,333.000. So that during the last five years Britain had been continually progressively reducing her military budget. At the same time she had carried out a progressive diminution of land forces and therefore it is quite possible, though he did not assert it was so, that when the matter came to be decided by the Disarmament ‘■Conference, it might appear Britain had already reduced to the level required by the Covenant. GENEVA. April 29.

China’s delegation consented to the question of abolition of conscription being referred to tbc Disarmament Conference proper, because the other delegations consider it outside the scope of the present commission, ''liina, however, reserved the right, if necessary, to adopt conscription. Count Bernstorff said they were not asking the Powers already disarmed to disarm. They hoped a future conference would not degenerate into a conference for mutual protection against disarmament. (Laughter).