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britain disarmed.
"we can do no more."
AFTER THE WAR.
TWO MILLION TONS OF
WAR SHIPS SCRAPPED.
ARMY1 REbUCED TO IMPERIAL
POLICE FORCE.
(British Official. Wireless.) .
LONDON, 3rd December.
Speaking to the British pressmen - at
Geneva yesterday afternoon, Lord Cushen-.
dun, the British representative to tho
League of Nations, said that British policy
on disarmament had in no way changed.
"On the contrary," ho declared, "We are
inclined to say to other countries who ap
proach us on this subjeot that, we have al
ready disarmed. We effected' our disarmar
ment immediately after the war, and now
we have not much to offer. After the
war Great Britnin possessed unquestion
able supremacy of the seas, more than ever
since the battle of Trafalgar.' But as
soon as 'the war was over we immediately
scrapped— rather too hurriedly, I ani in
clined to tlnnk— between 1,750,000 and
2,000,000 tons of ships. We did this not
merely from our desire to rcdeeih pro
mises, but also that . we might dispense
with all offensive forces except, thoso
strictly necessary. We also abandoned
two arsenals and two naval bases, we
cut down tlic personnel of our navy, and
practically sorappedi our air services, with
the reBuljb that a few years later we had
to resuscitate the air arm once more. Our
army, which xvas always numerically 'a
contemptible little army,' was also further
reduced. Obligatory service was abolished,
nnd we have reduced the armed forces to
the level of an Imperial police force, such
as is necessary, ns exemplified in the re
cent crisis in China, for the protection' of
British lives and British property through
out the world.
"Wo arc ready to prove we have dis
armed, and if We had not done so we
should now be in the position to offer a
reduction of 2,000,000 tons in the navy and
the rigid reduction of tho air service, but
we cannot dp it now. In other words,
we have already voluntarily done what
we are asking other nntions to do now."
Speaking on the work of the Security
Commission, which adjourned yesterday
morning to assemble, probably on 20th
February, Lord Cusliendnn said lie was
perfectly satisfied with, the questions which
had been referred to the bureau of the
commission in order th fit the resolutions
for the next meeting might be drafted.
4. y ha<J nw really outlined the basis of
discussion.
A Security Committee.
The preparatory commission for the dis
armament conference, having completed
the principal business for which it was
called— tlie establishment of a security com
mittee— is holding its final meeting of the
present session at Geneva t'o:day to fix
a. date for next meeting. The, scheme of
uork for the security committee submitted
yesterday meets with general approval.
It is agreed that security, which has
different meanings for different countries,
should, as Lord Cusliendnn suggested at
.yesterday s meeting, be more closely de-
fined. In his conversation with the. press
men, ho emphasised in particular the. diffi-
ty felt by tlie British Government in
undertaking an- engagement regarding se-
eurity binding her to action in .unforsee-
able circumstances. The signing of such
pacts was, more difficult in a country where
the Parliamentary. S3stcm was highly de
veloped, and where public: -opinion was
stiong arid free, tlinn in one where the
1 arhamentary . system was comparatively
undeveloped.
DISCUSSIONS AT GENEVA.
The Franco-SIavian Treaty)
Australian Press Association.
GENEVA, 3rd December.
After M. Litvinoff's pyrotechnics oh
Wednesday, the deliberations .of: the se
curity commission are proceeding unruffled,
as if a new counsellor had not flashed on
the horizon. It created separate sub-com
mittees to deal, firstly with . arbitration
agreements, secondly with security agree
ments, and thirdly with articles' of the
covenant,
M. Markovilch (Jugo-Slavia) subtly
mentioned the Franco- Jugo-Slavian treaty
in the same breath as the Italo-AIbanian
agreement, and went to some pnina to
emphasise, that the former treaty, was
within the scope of the League. Jugo
slavia had signed it because it was felt
that even though she was a member of
tlie League her security was not assured.
It was a sad mistake to assume that the
security problem could.be solved in the
strict atmosphere of a law court. ; The
League had given Albania exceptional as
surances, yet Albania had just concluded
a defensive alliance with Italy.
Germany and Venailles Treaty.
Count Bernstorff rounded off a . full-
throated promise of Germany's co-opera
tion in the suppression of war- through the
medium of complete, security- by- ohuming
special consideration for article 00, -dealing
with the revision of treaties. This was
an obvious reminder that Germany, 'would
litter seek tlie revision of the Versailles
treaty.
Lord Cushendun dropped a timely hint
that the second sub-committee would try
to define the meaning of "world security"
in relation to geographical . factors.
Finally Count Bcrnstorff's suggestion for
the convening of the commission was left
in the hands of the preparatory commis
sion on disarmament, to which the three
sub-committees will report not later than
1st January, and thus asBist tho desire
of tho Assembly that the disarmament
conference should meet before September.
Declaring that March is too far off, M.
Litvinoff demanded that the Disarmament
Commission should meet oa '10th January
— it should not be dependent on the se
curity committee's meeting.
Count Bernstorff - supported M. Litvin
off, urging that his Government was
anxious tliat tho Disarmament Conference
should be hold in 1028.
Lord Cushendun opposed this, and the
commission fixed the security meeting for
tlie 20th February aud tlie commission
meeting for tho 15th March.
M. Loudon said that some of the figures
quoted by At. Litvinoff on Wednesday
were incorrect.
M. Litvinoff stutes that on Friday be
signed tlie Soviet's adhesion to a protocol
condemning the use of poisonous or as
phyxiating gas in war.
Tho commission wound up its discus
sions in a happy spirit, leaving the way
clear for the meeting of tho Council ' on
Monday.
Pilsudski and Valdemaras.
Tho diplomats are agog over the .im
pending drnniutic meeting between Mar
shal I'ilsudski and M. Valdemaras, the
Premiers of Poland and Lithuania respec
tively. Murshal l'ilsudski's disclosure of
his. all-night wrestle over his attitude to
ward Lithuania is considered in some quar
ters to lie tactless compared with M. Val-
demarns's renewed .assurance that tlie re
storation of Yilua is not a condition pre
cedent to the renewal of friendly rela
tions.
M. Valdemaras denies that Lithuania is
either openly or secret ly mobilising. In a
lengthy note to tlie Lenguo he alleges that
lie is in possession of information that
Poland attempted to use the congress of
Lithuanian political refugees to instal a
new Goveriiim nt at Kovno, headed by the
former leader of. the Social Democrats, M.
l'lcckaitis, and that Muruhal Pilsudski,
with the view of assisting, inquired the
number . of days the military would re
quire to reach- to - Kovno : to - establish the
new- regime; . : , '
British Offlotel AVirelcss.l
A meeting' of ' th'e League of Nations
Council will open at Geneva on Monday,
nnd the British delegate, Sir Austen Cham
berlain, left London to-d.ay to attend it.
One of the most important questions to
come before tlie Council is the -Polish-
Lithuanian dispute.
It is reported that owing to the state
of his henitb, M. Titul, the Roumanian
Foreign Minister, has applied for the post
ponement of consideration of the Rou
manian-Hungarian dispute.
Russians Departing.
As two members of th'e Soviet delega
tion left for Moscow to-day, nnd the re
mainder will leave on Sunday, the Soviet's
new voice ,of pacific restraint will not
be even an off-stage echo. M. Litvinoff
has postponed his departure till Monday.
Presumably he hopes to .meet .Sir Austen
Chamberlain.
Portugal Appeals for Help.
The Portugese Government, in a' mes
sage, to the League, states that it is un
able to stabilise the . currency or restore
the finances to u sound, basis without
help, and finks the Council to consider
the question of a 'loan.
france and italy.
ANYTHING . BUT FRIENDSHIP
SUICIDE FOR BOTH.
PARIS, 3rd December.
In an interview, published in the "Ex
celsior," Signor Mussolini explicitly autho
rised the statement that between France
and Italy in cases of difficulty there Was
only one course — friendship. Any other
policy would, be suicide for both coun
tries. ''
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