“Not Keeping Pace”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 774, 21 September 1929, Page 11

“Not Keeping Pace”

DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE Criticism of Geneva VISCOUNT CECIL’S MOTION DISCUSSED (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Received 12.30 p.m. LONDON, Friday. ’l'tlE Australian and New Zealand Press Association Correia spondent at Geneva says interest today centred in the Third Committee’s debate of Viscount Cecil’s disarmament motion, which had been so bitterly opposed by some Continental Powers, chiefly France. Sir George Foster, a Canadian delegate, strongly supported the motion, pointing out that, if it were defeated, it would appear to the world that they were perfectly satisfied with the work of the Preparatory Committee on Disarmament, which obviously was not keeping pace with the sentiment of the world in favour of a real reduction of armaments.

Viscount Cecil encountered opposition on Thursday when he reopened controversial subjects at the meeting of the Disarmament Commission of the League of Nations. He wanted the commission to consider limitations- of materials, personnel and trained reserves, Army and Navy Budgets, also international control and enforcement of a disarmament treaty. In an impassioned peroration, Lord Cecil said: “If the draft treaty includes no reduction or limitation of

material we shall be presenting to a hungering world not bread but a stone —something of almost no practical value. There is no question that compulsion work must be done in collaboration and co-operation. “If any Power is not prepared to take a substantial step then the others can only submit. This might be the end of the disarmament scheme, which is the only direct and positive safeguard against war. It is the cornerstone of the edifice of peace.”