DISARMAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 23 November 1933, Page 5

DISARMAMENT

BRITISH DEBATE

GENEVA CO-OPERATION SPIRIT.

(Per British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, November 21. When tire House of Commons reassembled m the afternoon a motion that a humble address be presented in reply to the speech which His Majesty had delivered was moved and seconded in accordance with the custom by two private members, Messrs W. H. Cross and Kenneth Lindsay, the latter making his first speech in the House. Leader of the Opposition, Mr Geo. Lansbury, embarked on a preliminary criticism of the Government’s policy, but lie took occasion to welcome its declaration of loyalty to the League of Nations. On that point, he said, the Opposition would give the Government their full support, since they saw no alternative to the; League but the formation of the nations into a group ,with, possibly, disastrous consequences.

Mr Ramsay MacDonald, who Spoke later, referred to the disarmament conversations at Geneva. He said that Germany's withdrawal from the League and the Disarmament Conference had created a new situation, Sir John Simon had returned to London, and had reported that there was,/a very good determined spirit of co-operation at Geneva, and that there I was no intention of allowing the work | of disarmament to die or fail, and also I'that there was a widespread feeling I that- parallel, and supplementary efforts, by the use of diplomatic mach- | inery should now he made in order j to make the most effective contribuI tion of the work which the Disarma-' ment Conference had in its charge. Mr MacDonald added: “We hope that Germany may join these diplomatic exchanges, and that France and Italy will continue the efforts which we have been, and still are, making so cordially together to bring good results out of the conference. Of course, we shall continue to act in all these matters in close touch with the United States.”

Mr MacDonald cited, the proverb: '“Where there is a will there is a way,” and said that the British Government had the will to make the Disarmament Conference succeed, and would not lose any opportunity of discovering a way of working through to a success!'u lend. He complained that inaccurate statements had been made about the work which the British, armament Jirms were doing. He said that the facts were, that the work which have, made the so-called armament firms busy in October, and whicll necessitated their engaging more labour, and work connected with coal hydro-generation,

B.u oifed ft stalemont from Sheffield that no more than 20 per cent of the. turnover of the large steel firms was represented by armament, and that of this percentage, a, large proportion included quantities of marine propelling machinery for warships being constructed under ordinary programmes. There were at present no foreign orders for armaments in the whole/of Sheffield. Fie gave figures to prove that the chemical and steel works, about which the allegations had been made, were almost entirely engaged in industrial products.

CHANCELLOR HITLER’S PLEDGE PARIS, November 22.

Herr Hitler, in an interview with the Paris, paper, “Le Matin’s” Berlin correspondent, declared that if France, instead of founding security on the material impossibility of Germany defending herself,’ agreed to seek security in an agreement that was freely discussed, he (Hitler) would be ready to hear all, understand all, and undertake all. ,He was prepared, he said to give pledges in exchange for absolute equality or stages. For instance, he would subscribe to a defensive alliance of France and Britain.