The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1932. DISARMAMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1932. DISARMAMENT.

At last some progress is being made with material preliminaries in regard to disarmament. The subject is now a very wide one—far beyond military and naval curtailment's; The air and the under-sea are now an the picture also those infernal scientific develop tnents in the way of deadly gases ant high powered bombs.,' With the closi: ’ of the Great War, there was the suggestion the conflict, was to take a more deadly turn with violent air-raids, bombing of cities, and other catastrophic features. Fortunately, the work was spared the revelation of those horrors. Now, ■ hovvever p a basis oi agreement has been poached to dehar those latest developments, and there is now the hope that at least war wil be more humane! Gemahy set a dire example in the irresponsible bombing of cities, where the innocent suffierec so. severely. Germany was spared reprisals by the Armistice, and now it i hoped when the text of the disarmament proposals are finalised, that the modern engines of destruction in warfare, above, referred to, will be outlawed. Tt is not. unlikely that . in addition to aerial restrictions, limitations will be placed on submarine warfare also, and again the innocent will be spared- The chief Powers are agreed in the main in reference to naval reductions. Britain has gone r long way in that- respect ( but their is a. limit naturally. Great Britair has a far-flung Empire and it is essential the ocean highways required for commerce should be policed adequacy with a, mobile naval force. It is necassa-ry also with so many native tribes to control, that Britain should have at hand a primitive force ready to establish order when the natives go to excesses. For these sufficient reasons Britain must retain an ad- 1 equate naval -force, and the justice of that claim should he realised readily by the consorting Powers. In mili- 1 tary strength, also, Britain must have 1 an adequate force for Africa, India and' i the Far East. The Home defence-force ' i.s reduced to a minimum already, for a there is no saviour; enteniy in sight. The United States maintains a mere p than adequate Navy which f it is deals not necessary new so far as aw;

possible menace from European waters is concerned. Tin relations with Japan, however, m-e not- the most cordial, and they can be strained

severely at times. Unless and until the United States and Japan come to .a treaty agreement, both countries will be seeking to • maaiita n surplus naval strength.. Japan, too, has her troubles with China, and possibly with Russia in the future. The e contingencies warrant Japan being prepared, though in the late conflict with China in the Shanghai region, Japan owed her success in the end to her aerial strength. Otherwise, the fanatical defence of the Chinese would not have beten overcome so 'readily. France and Italy have their oversea obligations likewise, so that in the end the paring down of navies will be the feast Juarked in l .the final obligations. • However, there is evidence now of a marked! desire to modify very materially the: possibilities of war, and if the pro-rj posals can be enforced adequately, the result should be. all the better foi world-civilisation.'