A NEW ERA

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 2, 24 March 1927, Page 7

A NEW ERA

GERMANY’S HOPES FRANCE SUBMITS PLANS DISARMAMENT^PROPOSALS GENEVA, Wednesday. A draft of a disarmament convention prepared by France was presented to the Preparatory Commission on Disarmament last evening. This provides:—(1) That any signatory who is the victim of aggression shall immediately be absolved from all limitation of armaments. (2) That Signatories must notify the League of Nations every year regarding the daily average of their military, naval and aerial effectives. (3) A reduction of land armaments by limiting the number of effectives serving under the colours, and of the length of their military service; the reserves not to be affected. (4) A reduction of aerial forces by limiting the total motor power and cubic metres of dirigibles. (5) Limitation of naval forces by limiting the total tonnage of each country. The States in the Little Entente announced that they also would submit a plan. War Impossible Count Bernstorff, Germany, stated that his country’s role in the League was to help to attain an era in which the only war would be between the League and some aggressor. Thus war would be made practically impossible. Germany was already disarmed. She therefore had a perfect right to ask |pr general disarmament. Germany wanted to assist in making the League a living reality. A reduction of armaments was far more important than their limitation. Poland’s Cruel Lessons The Polish delegate, M. Sokal, said it was impossible for Poland to contemplate full disarmament. She had had cruel lessons for many centuries. Nevertheless, she was convinced an agreement could be reached. Viscount Cecil, Britain, in an interview, said he hoped a sub-committee would be formed to prepare a new draft convention from the alternative drafts submittr ' The British plan was for a fp- i a i limitation. It merely suggest! an interchange of Budgetary inff Tion which would make a nation's Budget intelligible to the League. Britain held that the League's disarmament decisions must be by a unanimous vote. If the League made good progress, the President of the United States, Mr. Calvin Coolidge, would be glad to assist toward disarmament regardless of the venue or the organisation under which it might be arranged.—A. and N.Z.-Times.