Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-16
BY vIscoUNT CECIL OF .cHELwooD.

~ NE morning next month the
delegates of the governments 10
the Twelfth Assembly OF the
~ League of Nations at Geneva
viii find in the official journal
of the Assembly a statement which /
trust they will read with care. The
statement TO which 1 refer is the COM
mon policy upon disarmament adopted
by the International Federation of
League OF Nations Societies at their
congress at Budapest. and it is a very
important indication Of the direction in
which public opinion on this subject is
moving.
When I say public opinion. I am. of
course, fully aware of the fact that IN
many countries the League of Nations
Societies have not the large number Of
adherents which they have, for instance,
in my own country or in Japan or in
Belgium. But the delegates to the
federation'S recent meetings on that
subject were, generally speaking. men Of
weight in their countries who repre-
sented the general tenor Of moderate
opinion therein. In short. our state
ment may be described as the highest
common measure Of agreement between
those who, however conscious of their
national aspirations and difficulties. are
is not to be gravely ieopardized, the
1882 conference must make a real
progress toward genuine disarmament
Definite Treaty Necessary.
What. then, are the proposals Of this
statement? In the first place we say
that the conference must eliminate in
a definite disarmament treaty, the first,
as 1t must be, Of a series of such treaties
In support Of this We give several obvi-
Gus and imperative reasons: The def
mite unconditional pledge given by
members OF the League OF Nations under
article of the covenant" the formal
promise which NJ. Ciemenceau gave on
the allies behalf at Versailles ito the
states disarmed under the treaties that
the exceptional regime applied to them
is only stepping stone TO a general
system OF universal limitation and re-
duct1on'; the evidence OF so many great
statesmen. economists. iuristS and his
torians that the mad race in anna
mentS" had led. and must lead. 10 war;
the disastrous effect that the failure OF
the conference would have.
With these obligations and necessities
IN mind we formulated z definite pro-
posal which has begun to take shape
in the ranks OF the disarmament move
AlChN O3ln III 1uIUDC anu r4Alc4iS0s
Here it Is:
The situation is such as to justify
even new q considerable reduction OF
ornaments, and apart from the reduc-
ton OF personnel and material which
should be effected. the federation es-
teens that, provided suitable proper
tions are laid down for the different
states under the conditions mentioned
hereunder, the conference should
achieve an all-around reduction OF p
per cent on the total amount budgeteo
for ornaments"
Would Outlaw Chemicals.
Taking the whole volume Of money
spent on ornaments In the world--nlore
than So $500 .000, 900 year--we say that
the outcome Of the conference should
at least involve, as q FIRST step, the re-
duction OF that sum by quarter, for
national safety. we claim, has been in1-
mensely increased by the establishment
and ever developing activity OF the
League Of Nations. by the Locarno
agreements. by the BRAND Kellosg pact