DISARMAMENT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 334, 22 September 1932, Page 5

DISARMAMENT

(Press. Assn.-

u.s. attitude toward recent german proposals

— By Telegiaph — Copy rlght).

Rec. Sept. 21, 7.0 p.m. Washington, Sep. 20. In what is considered the clarification of press reports from Paris it is stated that Ambassador Edge and Senator Reed advised the Freneh officials that America would support Great Britain and France in the German arms controversy. The President, Mr. H. Hoover issued a statement to-day in which he said: "With reference to press despatches from Paris on the German arms question, the position of this Government is clear. The sole question in which this country is interested is reducing arms of the whole world step by step. "We are not a party to the Treaty of Versailles, and to the limitation of German arms. That is solely a European question. The United States has already declared that it will take no part in that discussion. 'We are anxious that Germany shall continue to' participate in the Armament Conference, which now has such promise of progress for the entire world, and that she shall lend her aid to this great purpose." Diplomatic circles have interpreted this as a personal effort on the part of the President to prevent the breaking of the Disarmament Conference, j and a virtual appeal to Germany not | to withdraw from the negotiations. UnofRcial opinion expressed in Gov- , ernment circles is that the Govern- ! ment considers Germany's demands j are totally inconsistent with Mr. j Hoover's one-third reduction proposal. j It is further feared that the Ger- j man position may possibly jeopardise j the tentative agreement already j reached at Geneva. !