Evening star., 1928-12-05
ARMS PRODUCTION
CONFERENCE OPENS
Agreement on Control Sought
by Commission Meet
ing in Geneva.

BY the Associated Press.
GENEVA, Switzerland, December S.
A special commission, which is seeking
to reach an agreement concerning the
control of the manufacture of arms
and material of war, opening in Geneva
today under the presidency Of Count
Won Bernstorff of Germany.
The delegates did not take up any
general discussion of the difficulties
before the commission, today's activi-
ties being confined to the appointment
of a committee to meet privately in
an effort to attain an accord on draft
convention.
j. Gustavo Guerrero of Salvador was
appointed chairman of this committee.
Hugh R. Wilson, American Minister to
Switzerland, was one of the members
appointed.
Count Won Bernstorff, after the OPEN
Ing session of the experts, told the
Associated Press today that Germany
believes that subcommittee, including
a committee Of naval experts OF the
five great naval powers, should meet
to discuss disarmament questions.
Favors World Conference.
''This was our position during the
last assembly" he said. Il am con-
vinced that the way to achieve progress
is for the naval aficialS to get together
in an endeavor to break the present
deadlock. Furthermore, If we are able
to advance our work on arms manufac-
Of kIAtn kA1{
that we should convoke an international
conference without waiting for a COM
plete agreement"
An international conference two years
ago adopted convention for the super
vision of international trade in arms
and considerable dissatisfaction was
heard from countries that are obliged
to purchase arms since they do not
manufacture them.
These countries claimed then and
they claim now that it puts the non-
producing countries in an unfair posi-
ton. Their attitude was that nom
producer must publish the amount of
armamentS brought for national defense
while countries producing armament
can manufacture as much as they please
at home without any obligation to in
form the world as to what they are do
ing.
Efforts Are Widened.
Partly as result of this criticism
the efforts to bring about a draft con-
ventlon were Widened and they now
include both State and private manu-
facture. Several countries have taken
the position that complete publicity
as to ornaments manufactured in
State-owned factories is undesirable at
this time, because it would divulge the
details OF national defense. Delegates
OF France and Italy were willing that
the total value of armament produced
be disclosed, but not matters like the
weight and number of specific arms.
Gustavo Guerrero, former foreign
minister OF Salvador, has led the fight
for the most complete publicity con-
cernlng both government and private
manufactures. In this he was sup
ported by the United States delegation.
OF which Hugh Wilson, American Min
ister to Switzerland, is the head.
Amendment Rejected.
An amendment submitted bv the
Russian delegation calling for statistics
on the production of arms and NUM-
tions Of war was rejected today on the
ground that it was a political question
belonging to the domain of dis
armaments. The Russian representa-
tive was the only one TO vote in favor
OF the amendment. Italy took the lead
in opposing it.
The Soviet delegate proposed the in
sertion OF a paragraph in the draft con-
ventlCn for annual returns on all kinds
of armaments, including rifles, revolvers,
machine-guns, grenades, tanks, war;
ships and "all poisonous materials for
war"
Asher Hobson presented a motion,
which was accepted, appointing the
Brazilian expert, Barboza, chairman of
special committee to study commercial
statistics.