GENEVA CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1932, Page 5

GENEVA CONFERENCE

ARMS QUESTION

PRESENT OUTLOOK UNINVITING.

(United Press Association—By TJectrio

Telegraph—Copyright)

GEXF-v'A, December 6

lit. Hon. J. Ramsay MacDonald gave a dinner party here. It wlis without any result. Indeed, cynics suggest that the festival was in ihe nature of a, funeral wake, with the Disarmament Conference ,-as the corpse. The latest advices at Geneva show that all day efforts were made by Mr MacDonald, -Sir John Simon and Mr Davis (U.S.A.) to induce M. Herriot (Premier of France.) to meet Germany’s claim to armament equality- and these efforts were of little avail, but France and Italy are now inclined to favour Mr Diavis’ idea that the existing results should be embodied in a protocol. Herr Neurath (German Foreign Minister) had an hour’s interview with Mr Rams'ay MacDonald directly he arrived, which was most cordial, but except for their meeting at the dinner party, M. Harriot and Herr Neurath seem to be .avoiding each other. M. Herriot is leaving Geneva on Tuesday evening, but he offers to return on Saturday if it is needful.

JAPAN’S DISARMAMENT PLAN

GENEVA, December 6. Japan’s naval disarmament plan has been submitted 1 to four of the Powers confidentially. Jlupan suggests that the naval reductions must respect the geographical situation of each country and must not destroy the feeling o,f security of any’ country. Hence the Powers with the superior naval forces must reduce proportionately more than the Powers with the smaller Navies.

Japan suggests that the -maximum tonnage of the cruisers should be eight thousand, but thjat eight inch guns mav be retained on cruisers.

The plan proposes that, while Britain, the United States, France, Italy and Japan shall fix their respective maximum global tonnage© of * smtall cruisers, destroyers and other small units, the actual amount of the tonnage which each Navy shlall possess will he determined by a regional agreement-. For this purpose the nations of the world would be. divided into guch units as the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, Europeain waters, South American waters, etc. . •