TRAFFIC IN ARMS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1931, Page 3

TRAFFIC IN ARMS

CONVENTION REVIVED. HOPES FOR DISARMAMENT. (British Official Wireiess.) RUGBY, March. 16. | The Foreign Secretary, Mr Arthur Henderson, said that at the' session of the Council cd the League of Nations j last May the .British Government proposed convening a conference of signatories to the Anns'* Traffic Convention to consider the question of bringing it into force as soon as possible. This proposal resulted in postponement of consideration of the question until the Preparatory Commission of the Disarmament Conference had completed its work. This condition had hoe:: fulfilled, and he proposed to raise the question again at the next meeting of the. Council. Viscount Cecil, speaking in London on disarmament, expressed the opinion that the international situation had very markedly improved, and was still improving. Instead of hostility between countries, there was a changed feeling, and within the skeleton of the document drawn up by the Preparatory Commission on disarmament Infirmly believed that it would he possible to carry out disarmament, to a most drastic degree. They were anxi-i ous that tin coming conference should , result not merely in limitation of nr- j amaments. If they could only induce . the nations to agree, the result of theii j deliberations next year would lie to I bring down the costs of armament by ' a definite percentage, he hoped bv as much as 25 per cent. They should get a really convenient and simple test, as to whether they were progressing towards reduction or only towards limitation.