DISARMAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1933, Page 5

DISARMAMENT

AN ENGLISH VIEW “BRITAIN HAS RIGHT TO SPEAK." / (Per British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Sept. 19. The 'Anglo-French .conversations on disarmament, yesterday, are declared on both sides to haye been satisfactory, and to have improved the prospects of the Disarmament Conference. The French point of view was expressed in - greater detail than hitherto and the newspapers, state t'ho impression of the British delegation was that considerable progress had been made towards approximately /the respective policies of the two countries. It is- quite possible that the AngloFrench..talks will be .resumed in a few days.

Sir John Simon, in'a speech in Scotland on disarmament, referred to Captain Eden’s visit -to Paris and to his own impending visit to Geneva, where-, with h-is colleagues, he wou’d further attempt 'to find ■ if, even : '*now, there were not some way in which an agreed disarmament convention could be secured.

He said: “If, in the long run, disarmament, by regulated agreement is going to prove the best method for every nation, Britain baa a right to speak, lf<r there is no country in the world which has given such an example and offered such a proof of real devotion, to the cause of disarmament since the w-ar. We cannot reasonably be asked to go further— by ourselves. We are confident it is o-nlv by international co-operation for the reduction of armaments that we can hope to secure the -best prospects . for the future peace of the world. Regulated disarmament would be an immense contribution towards restoring the confidence of rations and neighbours j in one another.” ,

EMPIRE DEFENCE. CO-OPERATION. DISCUSSED AT, CONFERENCE. . ' TORONTO. September 18. Co-oneration „ for defence among the Empire's. nations was viewed: as desirable by delegates at the. British Uommonweailth Relations Federation. Such unity was seen also as -a possible stimulus to clear ./relationships between- other League countries for the prevention of aggression, and for the control of armaments. The d;scussion. was a,n outgrowth of earlier ones when. 7an*.agreement rw-ase-general that any war in which any Dominion would be engaged, coulfl; only be a (League war directed against-an 1 aggressor country, and -'that the Empire and its parts would be governed by tb© policy of the League of Nations, or the Kellogg-Bria-nd pacts, in such lease.

This was * held to clear up the hypothetical" question •as to one Dominion’s position o,n the pvent of another going to war. Thus ‘the Conference’ d : d not go beyond the League policy. If there were going to he an Empire policy i,h the defence question, it must he based upon the League policy, said one spokesman. The Conference made no attempt to set up any detailed plan of defence unity. It was agreed that; co-operation for the control of armaments' was desirable, and that some of the Dominions would wish to go further than others by reason of geographical consider a ti'ons in developing the homogenous idea.

Sfc 'was pointed out that while the League theoretically provided for action on\ a collective basis, it had taken no action in the Sino-Japanese 'question.

Members of the Australian ard : New Zealand delegations said they would be strong for co-operation in the homogeneous military .sense.

EMERGENCY CABINET MEETING. LONDON. September 20. The fact of an emergency meeting Cabinet ibeing held to-day is a sufficient indication of . the • urgency of disarmament discussions: ' .It is understood. that .the Convention at ißaris has centred mainly around: the "French plan or the regular and compulsory supervision of national armaments at six months’ intervals over r trial period of years, after which the French Government would agree to a disannament measure if the agreement were meanwhile observed. The “Daily Express’ ” diplomatic /-orrespondent suggests that France is prepared to withdraw from t’ne Disarmament Conference if her demands are nbt accepted. Britain is thus in n predicament, because, if she agrees J o France’s proposals, thep a,n an cry 'Germany is lively to break up the tOorference. France’s obiert in pro- -• losing an armament standstill with supervision is to provide the means of really testing Germany’s disarmament.

JAP MANDATES FORTIFIED? LONDON, iSeMembe- 19. Thn “Times” in a special article hv “Well-Ip formed Correspcn'lent.” de41nlres (the fact that the AmgPea.n Bishop of South Tokio was forbidden to visit Borin Island, because it was in a fortified area explains the current rumours that the Japt anese have fortified the mandated islands. The Bonins are riot mandated, hut are row so precious that even foreign Ecclesiastics oannot land o.n their shored

In the possession of a fine harbour they have obvious strategic: value, because in view of Japanese hostilities with a strong naval power threatening Japan’s eastern mandates, the fortification of the Bonin,s would prevent the enemy’s aircraft and submarines using this important advanced base. U.S. NAVY BUILDING PROGRAMME (Received this day at 11 -30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 20. Mr Roosevelt announced to-day that he intends to proceed without restriction on the 238,000,000 dollar programme to build the United States navy up to the limits. Reports have been current from abroad that suggestions have been made to the United States Ambassador and to Air Norman Davis at London, that there be some abandonment or leurtaihnerc- of the programme. It is asserted at White House that no such suggestion ws actually received by the President himself. Mr Roosevelt stated that the contracts had been let and under no circumstances was there any intention of calling Lack the contracts, or altering the pkni.