Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-12
France, Italy and Japan In
sist Sea Armaments Be Cut
With Others.
SUPERVISION QUESTION
BRINGS VARIED VIEWS
United States Action on League In
! vitation May Be Put Before
Congress.
By the Associated Press

oS INC ASSOCIATED HreEs.
GENEVA, December 12.-Disclosure
OF opposition by France. Italy and
Japan to holding an international na
yaF conference apart from the pro
posed general disa rmament conference
was the outstanding features OF TO
days Developments in Geneva anu
formed notable topic of discussion
III connection with President Cool
idge's message to Congress.
Meanwhile the question Of America
participation In the preparatory study
for the general conference under the
auspices of the league was publicly
opened when the league council for
mally invited the United States to ap-
point representatives on the prepare
tory commission. The commissions
program Of study also was defined
and it was announced that it woulc
! hold its first meeting here on Feb
ruary Is.
The French, italian and Japanesc
stand, which was revealed at a public
meeting of the league council today To
reafflrnl the decisions taken in its Sc
cret sessions, is based upon q resolu-
tion adopted by the fifth assembly %
the league declaring that the Questiol.
of naval disarmament should be dis
cussed as part of the problem Of ger
eral disarmament.
Benes Report Approved.
The council approved the report .
Foreign Minister Benes OF CZechoslo-
vakia. under which the United States.
Germany and Soviet Russia as non,
members Of the league, are invited 10
participate in the work Of the pre-
paratory commission. The other
members OF the commission are those
states holding membership in the
| league council and IN addition Bulga-
ria, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland
Rumania and Jugoslavia.
The council adopted a list of sever
! questions, which will form the basis
! of a study TO be undertaken by the
/ commission, and then fixed the date
/ for its first meeting.
DR.. Benes emphasized that the dis
armament council Coordination com
mission) OF the league during its de-
Z liberations had reached no conclusions
( on one highly important question
namely, the supervision of arma
ments.
/: He cited statement by Lord Cecil
7 Of Great Britain before the disarma
ment council that the preparatory
commission would have to inquire into
J
, sion in order to make sure that the
countries kept within the limit of the
| scale of armament fixed. Lord Cecil
added that ii might prove impossible
| 10 establish such international super
! vision. and that the countries, as now
! have to rely unnn their military at
! taches.
! BOncour Stand Differs.
/ DR.. Benes then cited NJ. Paul Bon
! cour OF France, who took a vigorous
| opposite stand.
! Declaring that If the limitation OF
armaments were not given the coun.
| terpart of a system Of control it would
! be equivalent to placing a premium or
! bad faith, NJ. Paul-Boncour added:
IF only visible disarmament in
! peace time were taken into account.
control could only be exercised over
! actual troops. barracks, war material
{ and magazines.
"On the other hand, were account
! to be taken of potential war strength
| il must be admitted that war material
! must simultaneously be controlled
particularly during a period of con
ciltation and arbitration"