CAB23-58 — Page 32

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ARMAMENTS.

Agron Man

Reduction of.

(Previous

Reference: Cabinet 31 (28). Con- clusion 1.)

2. The Cabinet had before them the following

Memoranda by the Secretary of State for Foreign

Affairs on the subject of Reduction of Armaments:

A Memorandum referring specifically to a conversation Sir Austen Chamberlain had had with Herr von Schubert, of the German Foreign Office (Paper C.P.-183 (28)), in which, after disclaiming any idea of using language in the nature of a threat. Herr von Schubert had pointed out that failure to make some advance in disarmament shortly would make it impossible for the German Governent to resist the conviction which was forming in Germany that the whole pretence of disarmament was a sham, and that the opening words of the clause in the Treaty of Versailles which imposes disarmament on Germany mean nothing and that the basis of the restrictions imposed upon Germany was gone.

A Memorandum of a conversation with M. Paul Boncour (Paper C.P.- 184 (28)).

While taking note of the views of the

Foreign Secretary, the Cabinet felt that they

could not really make any progress on this

important question in Sir Austen Chamberlain's

absence. The suggestion was made that the real

question before the Cabinet was as to whether an

end should be put to the proceedings of the

Disarmament Commission. The last adjournment

had been agreed upon to enable Great Britain and

France to reach some agreement. As M. Paul

Boncour had observed to Sir Austen Charberlain

(Paper C.P.-184 (28)), it was useless for the

Disarmament Commission to meet again unless

Great Britain and France had previously reached

agreement. The position had reached the stage

that any further proposal for postponement was

likely to be received with derision.

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