Evening star., 1938-06-16
Move Indicated, He Ayers,
Presumably Referring
to HuII's Speech.
NO CONCRETE PROPOSAL
WAS MADE IN ADDRESS
England in Full Accord With Any
Such Effort, Commons Told
by Leader.
BACKGROUND

since cOndutOnS IN Europe h6De De-
come 30 unsettled in recent months
the problem is increasingly acute.
Americas stand ip0s emphasized by
Secretary Hull on June 3 uhen he
said the United States Dds pre-
pared to join other nations in arm
anent reduction noues.
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, June 16.-Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain told the House
Of Commons today the United States
Government had intimated 1t was
preparing to make definite proposals
to secure world disarmament.
Asked by Arthur Henderson, Labor
member, If Britain were willing to
"join with the United States Govern
ment in making definite proposals
with a view to securing q halt in the
arms race" Mr.. Chamberlain replied
tersely:
THE United States Government
have suggested they are going to
make an attempt"
Refuses to Elaborate.
The prime minister refused to elab-
crate on this brief statement.
The discussion was opened when Mr..
Henderson, son of the late Arthur
Henderson who was president Of the
World Disarmament Conference, asked
the prime minister whether the British
government agreed with q recent
speech by Secretary Cordell Hull favor
ing disarmament.
Premier Chamberlain replied:
"Yes, sir. His Majesty's government
are in full agreement with the senti-
ments expressed by Mr.. Cordell Hull
in his recent speech and they are
always ready to cooperate with other
| nations on the subject"
cat the State Department today
it was stated that the United
States had made no concrete ap-
proaches to Great Britain Or to
any other power with . view to
entering q new world conference
for limitation of arms.
Based on HulRs Speech.
Ut was phesumed that Prime
Mirsster Chamberlain's statement
was based entirely on the speech
made by Secretary Of State Hull
in Nashville, Tenn, on June 3.
(Secretary Hull said the United
States, with the world groaning
under the burden of mounting ar
maments," was prepared to Join
with other nations in moving reso-
lutely toward bringing about an ef-
fective agreement on limitation and
progressive reduction of arma-
ments"
He added: with the use of armed
force assuming the aspect Of scarce
ly imaginable brutality, we are pre-
pared to Join with other nations
in resuming and vigorously carry
ing forward the work, so auspicious-
ly begun at The Hague two genera
tions ago, of humanizing by COM
mon agreement the rules and prac-
tices of warfare"
No Move Made Since.
(Since that speech, the State De-
partment said, no attempt has been
made to carry his suggestion
farther, or to communicate it to
other governments.
(This country, officials said, con-
tinues willing to discuss disarma-
ment and welcomes Premier Cham
berlain's expression of his complete
agreement with Secretary Hull's
specify
Premier Chamberlain is known to
favor the qualitative" type of dis
armament. such as abolition Of the
most deadly kinds of weapons-per-
haps bombing planes
This. he believes, Is the type Of dis
armament most likely to escape eva
sion.
In Midst Of Program.
Britain herself is in the midst Of a
gigantic rearmament program and re-
Gently has taken no lead in attempts
at disarmament in view Of unsettled
world conditions.
Only today she hoated an 80, ,00O. 900
pound ($400, ,000) loan to help
finance the rearmament program, cost
Of which originally was set at $780,
100000, but now is expected to exceed
that by so per cent
Many influential Britons believe dis
armament can come only after q gen.
eral appeasement has been reached
with dictator-ruled nations and that
this appeasement Is not likely to come
until Britain is fully rearmed.
Kennedy to Give Opinion.
Ambassador Joseph p. Kennedy, who
sailed for the United States yester-
day. Is expected to give President
Roosevelt his opinion whether there
is any genuine hope for disarmament
ut this time.
Before his departure the Ambassa-
dor conferred with Premier Chamber
lain, viscount Halifax, the foreign
secretary and other foreign diplomats.
During his discussion with Mr..
Henderson Premier Chamberlain said
the British government was willing
to abandon the practice of police air
bombings on India's northwest frontier
and in Palestine If that would help in
securing "a general agreement to abol-
ish bombing from the air"
Mr.. Henderson had asked II the
government were not willing to aban-
don police bombings and added:
THE offlcial spokesmen Of Japan,
Spain and other countries are using
this practice in order to neutralizs
the moral effect Of protests which
his majesty's government have made
In respect Of bombing civilian popu-
l. -