SERIOUS POSITION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 336, 24 September 1932, Page 3

SERIOUS POSITION

EliROPEAN FEVER PROSPECTS FOR DISARMAMENT CAUSING FRICTION IN GERMANY. QUICK ACTION YITAL. London, Saturday. Some act of impatience, irretrievably ruining the prospects of disarmament and leading to another armament race, may be provoked in Europe unless definite steps are quickly taken, says The Times in a leading article. ■ Great Britain, it is true, has not yet entered officially into the discussion of Germany's claim to equality, but she must adopt a settled policy without delay. The new ideals of co-operation may be forgotten in reversion to uncheclced competition in armaments and to mutual suspicion, rivalry, and nnrest. The question cannot be referred to the League of Nations, as the League contains some countries which are not interested in German armaments and excludes the United States, whose views are of the utmost importance. The best method of meeting Germany's claim would be to decrease the armaments of the vietorious Powers, hut Germany's own boasts of d'efiance contribute to the sense of insacurity. 0 Must be Loyal. Germany cannot properly demand equal rights unless she intends to be a loyal member of the League and accept its doctrines. Galling inequalities might be abolished if Germany undertook to maintain the principle of limitation and keep it at a low level to which fully-armed countries would agree to approximate for a' stated period. The renewal of unlimited competition would wreck all hopes of peaceful development. The people of Great Britain 'expect the Government to do its utmost to avert imminent danger. President von Hindenburg, with whom the last word in the German political crisis still remains, devoted 15 minutes to a deputation of Reichstag leaders to-day, the Berlin correspondent of The Times states. He , did not reply to a declaration that the | Reichstag could produce a workable j majority, and refused to he over-rid- j den; nor did he reply to a Nationalist leader's assertion that the Govern- ! ment must not be changed. Von Hindenburg's surprise docision ! to receive early next week represen- | tatives of the Nazi and Centre par- j ties, rneans that the Reichstag session j for September 12 will probably be ! postponed until after the conversa- j tions. It is pointed out that if the I Nazis and Centre are really able to i agree, the President may not be able j to refuse their claims. In this event, the Reichstag might ' not ha dissolved, but merely further | adjourned to enable a recasting of j the "Presid'ential Cahinet" without the present Chancellor, von Papen.