DISARMING.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1922, Page 5

DISARMING.

PROBLEM FOR EUROPE. DIFFICULT AT PRESENT. JOINT ACTION NECESSARY. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received July 21, 8.15 p.m. London, July 21. At a meeting of the Council of the League of Nations, M. Viviani presented a report of the Armaments Commission, which stated it was impossible to disarm unless countries did Bo universally and simultaneously, which was difficult in the present European situation. The plans proposed by Lord Esher and Lord Robert Cecil were still under discussion. Referring to Lord Esher’s proposal, the commission pointed out that the number of troops had little weight in calculating the strength of «n army, without taking into account the material available. Representatives of Italy and Belgium had agreed that Lord Esher’s plan was useful as a basis of discussion. Lord Cecil’s plan was sympathetically received by Belgium, becau e it provided for a guarantee coni forming to the spirit of the covenant lof the League.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

Lord Esher fixes 30,000 men as a military unit and proposes that the armies of European nations shall be fixed on the following scale:—

The military forces of Germany. Austria, Hungary, and Bulgaria are already fixed by the peace treaties-as under:—

It is proposed that the reduction to the suggested figures be made within six months, and shall operate for ten years.

Units. Total. Belgium 2 (W000 Czeeho-Slovakia .... 3 90.000 Denmark .... 2 60 000 France .e J8OO00 Great Britain .. 3 90.000 Greece 4 120.000 Italv 4 120.000 Holland 3 90,GOT/ Norway - 2 60 000 Poland 4 120.000 Portugal 1 30.000 Rumania 3 90.000 Sweden 2 60.000 Spain 3 90.000 Switzerland .... ... 2 60,000 Yugoslavia .... 3 90.000

Total. Germany .. . .. . 100.000 -Austria ... ... —... 30.000 Hunorarv .. 35,000 Bulgaria .. . . 20,000