CONFERENCE OPENED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 139, 4 February 1932, Page 3

CONFERENCE OPENED

(British Official Wireless)

MR. A. HENDERSON OUTLINES TASK BEFORE NATIONS MUST BREAK VICIOUS CIRCLE

RUGBY, Tuesday. Delegations from over 60 nations were present when the Disarmament Conference was opened at Geneva this evening. The president (Mr. Arthur Henderson) before beginning his address, made reference "to the tragic fact that at the moment when the conference the very purpose of which is to talce steps toward the maintenance of peace, begins its work we are confronted with a situation of extreme gravity in the Far East. "It is imperative that all the signatories of the League Convenant and the Briand-Kellogg Pact should make it their business to ensure the strict observation of these two great safeguards against acts of violence and wai"," he said. Mr. Henderson declared that the conferenee's task was: — 1. To reach an agreement on a programme of practical proposals and to secure speedily a substancial reduction and limitation of all national armaments. 2. To determine that no armaments shall he maintained outside the scope of that treaty. 3. To plan a continued advance toward the ultimate goal without detraeting from the present efforts by agreeing to similar conferences at reasonably short intervals. Mr. Henderson said they must break up the vicious circle of armaments. The problem was vitally relevant to the world's financial and economic crisis.