Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1927-03-31

a BOMB burst In the European sit
4 A uation on March 10 when Italy
notified the British government Of its
anxiety over the claimed massing Of
Yugo-Slavokian troops on the Al
bantam frontier, AT the same time
Italy warned France against supply
Ing Yugo-Slavia with war materials,
and claimed to have evidence that
France was secretly aiding the Slavs
In preparing fer an invasion of AL
bania which Is pawn In the strug
gle between Italy and Yugo-Slavia for
dominance In the Balkans and the new
revolution. II 1t comes, will represent
the Yago-Slavs effort to secure the
overlordship of Albania, which now Is
held by Italy.
England took immediate steps to
prevent the possibility of war In the
Balkans. The English government
sided with Italy. and for the first time
since the visit Of Sir Austen Chamber
lain to Leghorn, Italy, the British and
French policies were brought into
sharp conflict through the Italo-French
struggle for Balkan supremacy. Since
last October the British and italian
policies In the Mediterranean and Bal
kans have been absolutely in agree
nent, but the Belgrade gesture was
the first open Indication of the extent
to which the British support of Italy
goes.
The amount Of publicity given the
incident cleared the atmosphere, and
by the end of the week the war cloud
that had so suddenly arisen had al
most entirely disappeared.
T~HE sessions OF the preparatory
i disarmament commissions opened
at Geneva on March ~ At the first
sessions Lord Robert Cecil submitted
the British draft Of the proposed con
ventiOn for reducing ornaments which
tacitly supported the objections raised
in the United States memorandum
against the French theory of the ''po-
tentiality Of war" elaborated on by
NJ. Paul Boncour, which includes all
the Industrial, financial, economic and
agricultural resources of the nations
in labyrinthine complexity to achieve
disarmament.
The British proposal leaves the
figures on the sizes Of armies, navies,
and air forces blank, but Lord Cecil
intimated he favors basing a military
organization on population and the
proportion Of the existant forces with
due account for the geographical loca-
ton.
On the 23rd M. PauI-Boncour APP
pealed to Hugh Gibson, the American
delegate to the conference, to accept
the French proposals for II disarma-
ment treaty. He pointed out that 1t
provides that the United States, as
well as Russia, be represented on the
permanent disarmament commission,
although America Is not a member Of
the league. The French plan pro-
poses the junking of the Washington
treaty by providing global alloca-
ton of tonnage for navies, permitting
each power to build whatever cate
CORY Of craft 1t pleases The PROPOSE
ton provides for the allotment Of
maximum cubic centimetrage and
amount Of horsepower to be devel-
oped by motors Of airplanes 1t also
provides for permanent disarmament
committee sitting at Geneva to control
disarmament everywhere.
All the great powers, the United
States, Great Britain, Japan, and Italy,
oppose the French plan, leaving only
the little entente supporting 1t.
Count Won Bernstortf, the German
delegate, demanded that the league dis
armament commission proceed to exc
cute the Versailles treaty and the
league covenant reducing ali arma-
ments.
"The states already disarmed by
the treaties are entitled TO insist on
general disarmament" he said. Ger
many now Is member Of the league
and enjoys all the rights Of the or
ganization. We anticipate an epoch
when the only war possible Is the
league against an aggressor, and no
state should be permitted to be strong
enough to defy all the members. Ger
many can support only a practical
soIution--reduction to general level
for all ornaments"
A FEDERAL court decision rem
"A dered In New York on March %
holds 1t unlawful to possess grape
juice thai has fermented and contains
sufficient amount Of alcohol to make
II Intoxicating Quoting section 30,
title 2. of the national prohibition act,
Judge Hand read:
THE penalties provided In this act
against the manufacture Of liquor