NATIONS WARNED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 267, 9 October 1933, Page 7

NATIONS WARNED

MUST BE DISARMAMENT MR BALDWIN OUTSPOKEN (United Press Association. —liy Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received October 9, 11 a.m. RUGBY, Oct. T. Grave references to the state of Europe and the consequences possible if no disarmament convention were secured, „ coupled with a warning to any nation which prevents an agreement being 1 reached, ivere contained in a speech _ delivered to a mass meeting of the Conservative Party in Birmingham, last night, by Air Stanley Baldwin, Leader of the Conservative Party.

REMOVAL OF FEAR.

‘.‘World conditions are not good,” Air Baldwin said. “They are affected largely by economic conditions, but there is a psychological cause over and above tlie economic one —the absence of confidence. That want of confidence is a child of fear, and fear on tlie Continent of Europe is fqar of war. “That is one reason why it is imperative to bring about a disarmament convention. I do not mean disarmament on the part of this country alone, and not on the part of any other. It will be of vital importance to us that every signatory to that convention carries out what is in it in the letter and spirit. If that convention be signed, the nation that breaks it will have no friend in this civilised world, and the same is true of any nation which deliberately prevents such an agreement being reached by putting forward demands which might be acceptable after a time, but which would not be acceptable to-day to tlie other co-sig-natories. “But—and really I apologise for even alluding to this—there is fear in the world that our country has less regard than she had for the sanctity of agreements entered into since the war, which may contribute to the peace of Europe. I say this —and I take the Treaty of Locarno as the most difficult one —what Great Britain* has signed she will adhere to. She adhered to her signature with regard to Belgium. Her signature to these agreements is sacred.

haul! said: “I cannot tell whether the British Draft Convention will be acceptable as a basis for discussion, but I promise that if unhappily the conference fails Britain, or the Government will not be responsible if the responsibility is sa.ddled to where it belongs.” Mr Stanley Baldwin, addressing the Conservatives’ meeting at Birmingham, declared that the National Government had restored Britain’s credit, which had almost gone. The 1931 Disarmament Convention was imperative, and its failure would lead, to panic in the end. The foundations of Europe had rocked for fifteen years, and cannot stand a second explosion, hence the Government’s anxiety to roach an arms agreement. GERAIANY’S POLICY. PLACED BEFORE BRITAIN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Oct. 6. It is understood that a preliminary statement was made of the German Government’s attitude toward the treatment of armaments at the Geneva Disarmament Conference when Prince Otto von Bismark, acting Charge d’Affaires at the German Embassy in London, called at the Foreign Office this morning and had a conversation with Sir John Simon. In particular, observations on the question which had been addressed to Baron von Neurath during the recent c.onI versations at Geneva were placed before the British Foreign Secretary. They reveal that the German Government’s attitude on the main questions upon which differences have arisen remains unchanged. On the question of armaments, Germany maintains her claim. Germany rejects tlie project for a transition period to give a trial to the new system of supervision and control of armaments, during which period the present position of armaments in maintained without modification. POISON GAS TERRORS. REPORTED GERAIAN PREPARATIONS. Received October 9. 9.50 a.m. LONDON. Oct. 8. AVhat he describes as Germany’s rapid preparations for poison gas warfare on an unparalleled scale were disclosed by Air Arthur Gillian, general secretary of the Chemical Workers’ Union. Writing in the Sunday Referee, Air Gillian declares that the German experiments include an arsenical gas which burns tlie body and penetrates gasmasks. i A poison gas factory at Hamburg I produces 200 cylinders of chemical I death weekly and a network of factori ies working on peace time products can quickly be transformed into the biggest chain of poison gas arsenals in the world. A BERLIN STATEAIENT. BERLIN, Oct. 7. The Allegemeine Zeitung says that Prince von Bismark told Sir John i Simon that Germany insists on immediate disarmament of heavily-armed Powers and declines a trial period. AAIERICAN OBSERVATIONS. EYES ON GERAIANY. A HINT DROPPED. WASHINGTON, Oct. 7. The likelihood of a stiffer arms policy was noted in State Department circles to-day following Press reports that Germany is prepared to demand arms equality with France at the Geneva Disarmament Conference. The department is disinclined to issue official comment pending a complete report from the United States representative at Geneva. Air Norman Davis, but it is suggested informally that the Administration would not only be unalterably opposed to any such demand, but might, if the rearmament threat were carried out, make a direct protest under the provisions of the separate American-German peace treaty of 1921. . . One observer close to the Administration termed the Hitler rearmament move as an intensification of the critical European political situation. BRITISH AIR AIM. FAST ’PLANES ORDERED. Received October 9, 8.55 a.m. LONDON, Oct. 8. The Sunday Dispatch declares that Britain lias ordered 100 more fast fighting ’planes for home defence, also a squadron of flying boats, tlie value of which was shown in the recent North Sea manoeuvres.

“Tlie?e are people who believe the possible failure to get a disarmament convention would not make much difference to the world. It would make this difference, that the fears of which I speak, in the event of failure of agreement, might become a panic in some countries and if there were no prospects of the limitation of armaments there is no country but would put to itself the question: ‘Aire we secure with our present armament?’ The answer to that question to-day in many countries would be: ‘No, we are not safe.’ And I see that problem of re-armament, and all that it involves, drawing nearer and nearer till it grips us by tlie throat. “If re-armament began in Europe you may say good-bye to any restoration of cuts’, to any reduction of taxation for a generation with many nations. The expenditure that would be involved in increasing armaments would bring them much nearer to a financial catastrope and it might even bankrupt some, and you may imagine from that wliat the effect would be on 1 the trade of the world. OUTOOAIE OF WAR. “Psychologically we should be back in 1914, witli more knowledge than we had then, and I have never disguised my own view that another war in Europe _ would be the end of - civilisation. We know that few can be so careless and so ignorant as not to have noticed how the very foundations of Westem European civilisation have rocked in these last 15 years. They cannot stand a second explosion akin to the one that wrought such damage as that time and you cannot wonder at the anxiety with which liis Alajesty’s Government now is endeavouring in every way to come to, and ensure, some agreement with regard to the limitation of armaments.” Air Baldwin’s speech is described by the Daily Telegraph as a word in season delivered in the spirit of candour that should leave no room for misunderstanding and ought not fail of its effect. “BRICK INTO WHITEHALL.” GERA!AN PRINCE’S VISIT. Received October 9, 8.55 a.m. LONDON, Oct. 8. The question of disarmament perplexes the most acute minds of Europe and is hindering the establishment of pacific conditions and delaying the settlement of many outstanding issues. That Berlin dropped a brick into Whitehall by Germany's counter-pro-posals is known generally through the Press, but Prince von Bismark’s visit to Sir John Simon resulted in tk6 despatch of Captain R. A. Eden to Birmingham, where Mr Stanley Baldwin was preparing his address. Thus Mr Baldwin spoke with a knowledge of what Prince von Bismark had said. His speech was welcomed by France, where the Frenchmen regard it as a lifebuoy on a stormy ocean. BRITISH POSITION. IF CONFERENCE FAILS. LONDON, Oct. 7. Tlie Secretary of State for War, Lord Hailsham, speaking at Binning-