22 NOVEMBER 1930, Page 9

A Travesty of Disarmament

The ease for direct limitation of armaments has been allowed to go by default. British policy appears to us as wrong as it is ignominious. In view of the serious increase in armaments since the spring of 1929, when the Preparatory Commission last met and rejected every form of control except " publicity," we had hoped for better things. The German proposal for direct limitation received then a much greater number of votes. It is deplorable that the Labour Government should be blind to the dynamic forces in Europe. Their decision to aspire no higher than Budgetary limitation ignores the character of Poland and Yugo-Slavia, where there is no control of public expenditure. Again, the United States meets this method with a non possumus. Thus there is raised the whole question of the efficacy of the League disarmament work as compared with the naval

agreements reached outside the League—with the co- operation of the United States.

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