Evening star., 1932-10-17
END OF ARMS RACE
IS BR|TA|N'S AIM,
SAYS MACDONALD
Declares Desire for "a Real
Contribution to StabiIiza-
ton of Peace"
DISAPPROVAL OF GENEVA
BY GERMANY REGRETTED
Free Trade Fight Reaches Climax
in Parliament Tomorrow.
Defeat Appears Sure.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, october 17.-DiSarmament,
not rearmament, is the basis of Great
Britain's whole policy regarding the dis
armament issue, Prime Minister RAM
say Macdonald said today at lunch
con attended by several cabinet minis
ters and 300 of his followers in the
national Labor party.
Germany knows perfectly we'll" he
said. that Great Britain does not op-
pose her claim to be regarded as an
equal at the disarmament conferences.
Our policy is not rearmament, but dis
armament.
Il profoundly regret that Germany
has refused to come to Geneva for pre-
1iminary disarmament discussions be-
cause of reasons the substance OF which
it is difficult for me to detect. The
British government is continuing to
pursue its purpose and hopes to make
further announcement in few days.
Germany knows that Great Britain
is anxious to bring Germany and her
neighbors into relations of greater con-
fidence, said Mr.. Macdonald.
The national government cannot
think of Europe and the world with
out the League of Nations he added.
I'VE stand by the League and we stand
by the covenants of the League. want
a disarmament which will be real
contribution to the stabilization OF
peace
His audience cheered.
In the present disarmament sltua-
ton, he said, everything points to the
yor oh toi Upnpr31 p
ment on, Germany's claims to equality
land in the preparation of that agree
ment Germany ought to see to 1t that
she is present to exchange views with
all Of us"
Parliament Meets Tomorrow.
A fierce battle between free trade
and tariff protection is promised when
Parliament reassembles here tomorrow
to act on the new tariff deals between
Great Britain and the domlnlonS
ence last Summer.
Victory for the new policy is as Ger
tain as anything in politics, for the
national government musters plural
ity of 500 in Commons.
Free trade may be making its last
stand, but its champions are the sort
who never surrender. They have split
Prime Minister MacDonald's nation
al cabinet during recent weeks and
in the shadowy halls of Westmin-
ster they will launch campaign look
ing toward new elections and reversal
of the basic fiscal policy the govern
ment has embraced.
Session May Last Month.
The session, originally planned as.
fIroa-doIy n1oao Nf routine nr0haDlv
will last a month.
If the opposition becomes insistent in
debate the government probably will
apply the "guillotine" to talk, but OBJ
servers expect the session to run well
into November.
Informed opinion among political OBJ
servers in London is that the recent
liberal breakaway from the cabinet on
the tariff issue, while still supporting
the national regime on other questions,
at least clarified British political at
mosphere.
stronger and more forceful opposi-
ton has been created in Parliament to
put the government to more searching
tests of policy than possible from the
handful of Laborites left at Westmin-
ster after the national government
landslide in the general election of
October, 1881.
Opposition Small
Since the avalanche in favor of the
national regime, Is bye-elections have
resulted in changes in only two parlia-
mentary seats. The Labor opposition
recaptured both.
On general issues Macdonald can
muster pro-government forces number
ing $50 of the 615 members of Com
T,ahpr
members number So, and 10 are indie
pendent voters.
On tariff issues the opposition will
be increased by 33 national Liberals or
"Simonites." Even on tariff measures
the vote against the government isn't
likely to reach more than 100.