DISARMAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1933, Page 5

DISARMAMENT

VIEWS OF BRITAIN THE FRANCO GERMAN OBSTACLE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 22. Captain Eden, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, speaking at Peterborough, expressed the view that the problems of the Disarmament Conference were just those that had baffled post war Europe and Intel played a significant part in every phase of history —the relation of the Powers of Western Europe. If, for instance, an agreement coulcl be reached betwen France and Germany on the basis of the British Draft Convention. upon which the conference wa s now at work, other difficulties would, no doubt, -adjust themselves around the nucleus ol this common accord. Without such an agreement, no real progress was possible. It was the task of British statesmanship to do all in its power to make such an agreement possible. A pacified Europe was the British objective, and for this Britain had voluntarily undertaken a very serious obligation that resulted from the Locarno treaty. It was, no doubt, the same motive that prompted Signor Mussolini to make Iris recent proposals for the Four Power Pact, an act of statesmanship for which Europe has every reason to be grateful to him. If they could re-enter a period of European co-operation,, progres 9 would become possible in all the problems of international relations which to-day baffled statesmanship.