FOR SECURITY OF NATIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 284, 21 February 1928, Page 9

FOR SECURITY OF NATIONS

No Single Project Sufficient BRITAIN’S LEAD IN ARBITRATION THAT no single project is sufficient for the advancement of the course of international security and disarmament is the opinion expressed by the British representative at the opening sitting of the League of Nations committee on Arbitration and Security. By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright.

Reed. 11.15 a.m. GENEVA, Monday. Representatives from 22 States attended the opening sitting of the committee on arbitration and security. The Soviet was represented by an observer.

M. Benes, Czeeho-Slovakia, presiding, declared that it was abundantly apparent that security was not realisable by any single uniform project, but rather by a series of political and judicial measures to meet the divergent situations in various countries. Lord Cushendun, Britain, emphasised that Britain’s view of the League Covenant had given a measure of security. The committee should stress this fundamental principle. Britain favoured the Finnish proposal to assist victims of aggression. He recalled that Britain had a century’s

experience in arbitration, notably the Anglo-American treaty.

Britain would freely support treaties concerning arbitration and conciliation, for which Locarno

was the best model, although a modification might be necessary in special cases.

The committee should realise that unless the session achieved a practical measure, giving nations a greater sense of security, he continued, there was little hope of doing anything' useful. Unless the League Covenant afforded such security against the recurrence of war, failure must be admitted. He was not prepared to make any such admission. The Soviet submitted a draft for a convention of general disarmament, based on the proposals of M. Litvinoff, which were submitted on November 30. The draft will be considered at coming meetings of the Disaiunament Preparatory Commission.—A. and N.Z.