The Disarmament Proposals.

Manawatu Herald, 14 March 1899, Page 3

The Disarmament Proposals.

* A very interesting unfcicipation of Ihfi Czar's propoonlfl i" rpcallfo' hv R correspondent of the T mas. It was a British Prim^ Minister who, pp< ak ijns in the House of Commons in 4841, threw out the fnlli wing suggestions, which have now, afrer so mit»y years, bpen takpn up by an Enpror of JRnssia :— " I* not the time come when the pow^vftil conntries of Europe should reduce thn c military arrnnmenta which they have bo sedulously raised ? Is not the time come when they should bp p e~ pared to declare that th^ve i« no us > in such overgrown establis-hmentp ? What 13 the advpntage of oge powegreatly increasing its array nnl W navy ? Dcies it not see that if ie proposes such increase for setf-pro-t«okioa and defenca the other Powers

would follow its example ? The consequence of this state of things must be that no increase of relative strength will accrue to any one power, but that there must be a universal consumption of the resoursea of every country in military preparations. They ai'f, in fact, depriving peace of half its advantages, and anticipating the energies of war whenever they may be required. . . Th« true interest of Europ9 is to come to some one common accord, so as* to enable every country to fe'duce tho9e military armaments which belong to a state of war rather than of peace. I do wish that the Councils of every country (or the public voice and mind, if the Councils did noi) would willingly propagate such a doctrinp." These words were spoken by Sir R >bert Peel when at the head of a 'Conservative Government.