The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1831 DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1831 DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE.

Tiieue is no apparent valid reason why there should be any postponement of the Disarmament Conference set down to be held in February of next year. The world plainly desires disarmament on the part of all the Powers, and any postponement at this stage of a, conference on which it is building great hopes will excite serious misgivings on its part. It would become suspicions of the sincerity of some, at least, of the nations that have subscribed to the principle of disarmament. Great Britain, to her credit it lias to be said, has set am example in respect of disarmament. That example, as was asserted bv Earl Jellicoe, speaking at the British Legion convention in Canada with particular reference to naval armaments, no other nation has followed. The time has come for a display of the earnestness of the pio-

testations these sister nations have , made. Unilateral disarmament is I associated with such dangers that it cannot be seriously contemplated. J here must he a general recognition of the need for n drastic curtailment of the expenditure on implements of war. The expectation's which are icing entertained with respect to' the inference at Geneva represent a, ■evulsion of feeling agjainst* war ill he hearts and minds of a. generation! hat lias had direct experience of its .errors. The peace movement depends n part upon the existence of that eeling and on the feeding of the fires f hatred of war. Delays and postlonements of plans for disarmament end to weaken the psychological and laterial effects produced by a great onflict at arms. As soon as a genration that had not fought grows to lanhood and the finances of the belgerents have been sufficiently restorrl, peace movements lose their vital*- , y. The question may -be asked Aether the present generation has the ill, the wisdom and the ability to mtimue its advance towards general isannament when the tide that has •en favourable to it is on the ebb. ortunately it would be untrue as, yet v suggest that, the tide is on the ‘ib, or that it lias even cea r ed to flow, it it may be suggested that a danerous check to the existing flow would a administered by a policy of post* 'moment at this time. The world is oproacliing the crisis in respect of :s great problem. On every hand at foils are finding the enormous exicnditure on land, sea and air forces n increasingly insupportable burden, -id their people are demanding that uch extravagn-ces shall cease. Tlie ctual measure of relief that may he xpec-ted in tliis direction if there liould be ,a, successful issue to-the conoreuce next year it would be im'ossible to say, but it may be assumed hat the financial position of almost very country in the world will be Hvourably affected to a vast extent, "lie point of it all is, as Mr Ramsay dacßonald has said, that "Geneva ■iiust give results.” It would be a tragic circumstance if any one nation were to- be suffered recklessly to thwart the desire of the world for universal peace by placing any obstacle in the way of the permanent outlawry of war and the rigid curtailment of expenditure on costly armaments.