“WILL REDUCE ARMS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 313, 26 March 1928, Page 9

“WILL REDUCE ARMS”

Dramatic Offer by Britain

NATIONS CONFER AT GENEVA

By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright ,

Reed. 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Sunday. IN view of the presence at Geneva of Mr. Hugh Gibson, 1 United States delegate to the three-power naval disarmament conference last year, a definite offer by Lord Cushendun of a reduction of British naval arms came dramatically.

L ORD CUSHHENDUN addressed a Note to the American, French and Japanese representatives at the sittings of the Preparatory Committee on Disarmament. In this he explains that when he was replying to the Russian observer, M. Litvinoff, on Tuesday, he was compelled to refer indefinitely to the readiness of Britain to reduce the size of her capital ships. Lord Cushendun said he was now able to reveal the British proposals. They were:— _ (1) The reduction of battleships from 35,000 tons to under 30,000 tons. (2) The reduction of guns from 16in to 13.5 in. (3) An extended life for the ships of from 20 to 26 years or thereabouts. These proposals would involve the waiving by Britain of her powers and rights under the Washington Treaty. Lord Cushendun urged that these reductions, if they wrere accepted, should be introduced to enable them to become effective before the replacement of the ships was due under the treaty. The proposals constituted a great step toward disarmament and would ensure considerable economies. If an agreement is reached on capital ships, it is reasonable to expect that the cruiser discussion will be resumed.—A. and N.Z. SMOOTHING THE PATH BRITAIN LEADS THE WAY

REAL AND THE IDEAL British Wireless—Press Assn.—Copyright Reed. 11.20 a.m. RUGBY, Saturday. A statement made by Count Clauzel (France) at the Preparatory Commission for Disarmament Conference on Thursday, that important conversations were proceeding which would make smoother the path to disarmament, was corroborated at yesterday’s session by the British delegate. Lord Cushendun. He said that although any conversations that might be proceeding so far as Britain was concerned were not in his hands, and therefore he was not in a position to give definite information as to the precise stage reached, he knew enough to say that Count Clauzel had every justification for the information he had given. At the close of the session, Lord Cushendun made a statement to the Press in which, referring to M. Litvinoff’s reply to his criticism,, he said it amounted to an admission that the Soviet did not regard civil war as war. The main case against the Soviet republic was not that it fought itsown subjects, but that its whole world policy was to create civil war. He was in possession of authentic figures showing that enormous sums had been spent by the Soviet in supplying arms to the Chinese Nationalists. Great Britain’s part at Shanghai had been taken purely for the protection of the lives of British subjects and their property, and incidentally those of other Europeans. BRITAIN’S DIFFICULTY It also revealed Britain’s chief difficulty in the matter of disarmament. Although it would be relatively easy for some countries to indicate essential needs for their internal security, Great Britain had always to-keep before her eyes possibilities like that of Shanghai. Foreign nations always expected Britain to lead, and there was

considerable feeling in England itself that we ought to disarm more now, because no war was imminent. What sensation could then have been made if the British delegate had been able to state that Britain was prepared to scrap, say, 1,000 fighting ships, of a total tonnage of 2,000,000? Yet, as a matter of fact, Britain had done this largely from the point of view of economy. REDUCED AIRCRAFT Again, despite'France’s overwhelming superiority in the air, Great Britain had had no hesitation in reducing her Great War strength of air squadrons. It was also Great Britain which had prepared the first draft convention for the reduction of armaments. Finally, Lord Cushendun expressed his desire for a greater admixture at Geneva of realism with the idealism, and more patience by all those who were seeking disarmament.—A. and N.Z. NEW PEACE PLAN RUSSIANS UNFOLD IDEA AT GENEVA DISCUSSION DEFERRED By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. GENEVA, Saturday. The Russian delegation to the Preparatory Commission on Disarmament to-day distributed a document containing details of a new scheme for partial and progressive disarmament. This comprised a reduction of land, sea and air forces, also international control of disarmament. The scheme proposed the divisiou of the various countries into four groups. Of these it proposed that the countries possessing 200,000 troops should reduce them by half. The next group with 40,000 troops should reduce them by one-third. It suggested that the same system should be applied to navies. Thus, countries with a tonnage of 200,000 should reduce by half, and those with less than 200,000 tons by a quarter. The scheme also advocated the abolition within 12 months of all military aircraft. It is generally felt that the scheme had been prepared before the delegates arrived at Geneva in the event of the earlier proposals not being supported. The sittings of the committee ended cordially after a day spent in discussing the German proposal to fix a definite date for the Disarmament Conference. This was rejected. The wording of Jonkheer Dr. Loudon’s motion to shelve the Russian proposals was altered by the deletion of the words "while the Soviet’s proposals harmonise with the ideals of mankind they are incapable of being executed in the existing conditions in the world.” LITVINOFF DISAPPOINTED M. Litvinoff was disappointed. He reiterated that he did not see why the committee should decline to - ead the draft a first time. The resolution was eventually adopted in the following form: “The Russian draft is not acceptable. The committee ..lust pursue the lines already mapped out, but it promises to consider the new Soviet draft next session, which if possible will precede the next Assembly. In a valedictory speech Dr. Loudon said he hoped the Soviet would then come in a constructive, not a destructive spirit. M. Litvinoff paid a tribute to the work of the secretariat of the League, especially the disarmament section. Lord Cushendun, in this connection, remarked that it was the first time they had had pleasure in associating themselves with M. Litvinoff. (Laughter.)—A. and N.Z.-Sun.

MORE SHIPS AND PLANES AMERICAN NAVAL BILL DESIRE OF THE SENATE NEW YORK, Saturday. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says Mr. F. Hale, chairman of the Naval Committee of the Senate, and Mr. T. L. Oddie, a Republican member of the committee, conferred with the President, Mr. Coolidge, to-day on the Naval Bill. Mr. Hale declined to say what the attitude of the Senate would be toward the House of Representatives’ bill. Mr. Oddie, however, said the Senate appeared to be in favour of more cruisers and extra airplanes. Therefore he thought the provisions of the measure would be increased. The Democrats and Independent Republicans in the Senate are reported to be in favour of the Bill.—A. and N.Z. JAPANESE NAVY NEW CRUISER LAUNCHED TOKYO, Saturday. The new first-class cruiser Haguro was launched at the Mitsubishi dockyard, Nagasaki, to-day. Prince Fushimi attended the ceremony.—A. and N.Z. The Haguro, one of the last of Japan’s four 10,000-ton cruisers of the 1922 programme, was laid down in 1925 at Nagasaki. It was at first understood that she would mount eight eight-inch guns in twin turrets on the centre line, but in view of the heavy armament carried by the United States ships of this class Japan may increase the number to ten.