The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-31
LitUHof Cives New U. S. S. r. Peace Proposals
Continued from Page y

! t4ACAEs CNC4 III bI4COLCG4Co4 4O1AiiuAetC
upon which all delegations could
agree.
In various countries the govern
ments changed and the parties in
power changed. The theology Of the
| parties and governments changed as
well as their methods in solving in
| ternational problems. NotWithstan-
ing the Briand-Kelogg Pact, in all
| countries we are witnessing the
carrying on of nationalist policy,
by the means of the development of
military activities in territories near
adjacent states. Other states are
not sufficiently strong yet for carry
ing on a similar policy, and are
meanwhile limiting themselves to
verbal and written propaganda of
the idea Of expansion and the seiz-
ure of foreign lands by means of
the armed fist.
THE question now is one with
regard to such states whose leaders
quite openly outlined their program
for the seizure of foreign lands.
Summing up more than a years
work of the conference, we must
openly say the difficulties are al
ready evident at the beginning. Its
life has weakened in the course of
time and the difficulties increase
with a crescendo which have finally
led us to a deadlock"
Secret War Maneuvres
LitYinoff further dwelt upon the |
pourparlerS carried on close circles
of certain countries which also led |
to no agreements. I'VE are fully |
aware" he said "of the statements
of certain states-and by no means |
small, no by any means suffering |
from surplus love for peace-that |
they will never agree to any means |
Of reduction of ornaments, display |
ing thereby their decided aggressive
ness. Such statements are sufficient |
in order to register the complete
failure in SO far as this concerns
disarmament"
Litvinoff then continued: per
hapS there may be some delegations |
ready to propose that they would be
satisfied with half measures, for ex-
ample, and once again confirm that |
what was already accepted as inter-
national obligations such as the pro-
hibition of chemical warfare or else |
once again confirm the non-increase
of armament over the present level. |
But who can believe that such |
obligations will really be observed |
by all under present conditions, or
that obligations can practically be
controlled?
Would it not be politically more
honest, courageously and openly to
confess that international life, par |
ticularly political events of certain |
countries in the past years, have !
not allowed the conference to carry
out it's direct problem of the elabo-
ration of convention of disarma-
ment?
A Wider Conception
1.-THE necessity of closing the con-
ference itself, logically would nat
urally follow. This would be cor
rect were one to approach the ques-
ton from purely formal or pc
dantic viewpoint, having only the (
name of the conference in mind. |
But the Soviet delegation continues
to consider it from the wider con-
ception of the conference as having
its own aim, namely, to realize one
of the guarantees OF peace by means
Of disarmament.
Thus, it is question not OF dis
armament, which is only means,
but Of guaranteeing peace. The |
question arises: Could not the con-
ference seek out other guarantees Of |
peace or at least increased measures |
of security for those states not hav-
ing any aggressive ideas, not in
terested in war, and which in case
Of war could be become an object
Of invasion? One may ask, what
guarantees exist that in other ques-
tons the conference may be more
unanimous than in questions of dis
armament, that the activities of the
conference be more fruitful, more
successful?
ITO this I will answer: In order to
reduce ornaments, to an extent the
absolute consent practically of all
states is indispensable. In order to
realize other measur S of security
unanimity is not necessary. Natur-
ally the conferences must do every
thing in order that all countries
should adhere to these measures,
but even should the centers be found
among countries, this should in no
way interfere with the remaining
countries coming closer together in
order to carry out such measures as
would increase their own security.
THE questions of security are not
in the least strangers to the con-
ference. The latter was created for
such questions, a special political
commission which occupied itself
with the questions.
Litvinoff further recalled the
Soviet proposal concerning the def
milton of aggression. ITO further
increase the adherence to the Soviet
definition of aggression would great
ly ease the carrying out of other
proposals suggested at the confer
ence referring to security. New pro-
posals can likewise be introduced,
for example, proposals concerning
such or other sanctions against vio-
lators of peace or violators of the
Kellogg Pact.
ut is possible to establish a scale
for these sanctions not leading to
military measures and not apple
able to all states. Various regional
pactS of mutual assistance can be
added to such more or less universal
pacts. 1t is not question of mill
tary alliances or the division of
states into camps hostile to each
] - rtill lnrr ~