DISARMAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1922, Page 6

DISARMAMENT.

SENAiOR BORAH’S SCHEME. CRITICISED BY REPUBLICAN LEADER. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright WASHINGTON, Dec. 27. Senator Lodge, in a speech in the Senate, said that a conference to consider land disarmament, as Senator Borah suggested in. connection with his proposal for an economic conference, would be useless, unless France withdrew her objections and agreed to cooperate with the other Powers in .lowering her land force. “I have no information that France lias changed her attitude at the Washington Conference when she refused to consider land armaments.” Senator Lodge said the United States had already reduced her land forces to something less than the proper peace strength. While Senator Lodge doubted whether the proposal for an economic conference was in order under the Senate rules he declared its importance was great. Selfishness alone was making them all desire to do anything possible for the stabilisation of European affairs. He declared, however, that Senator Borah’s proposal was so broadly drawn that it had no boundary. They ought to know exactly what the powers of such a conference would be. He considered the debt question ought to be excluded and dealt with by the United States alone. Under the present proposal they would be called on to take part in the work of the Reparations Commission, perhaps the revision of the Versailles Treaty. “I don’t know how far the Senato thinks we ought to go in advancing money to help Germany or France; that question is sure to arise in such a conference and there ought to be some distinct statement about it.” Senator Pomerene asked Senator Lodge what such a conference could properly consider. Senator Lodge declared that he was unable to state whether the United States should go beyond the role of mediator or arbitrator.

Senator Lodge’s speech followed a meeting of 20 Republican Senators who agreed to fight Senator Borah’s move.