Armament > Memorandum relating to the suggestions of the Danish delegation (Conf. D. 99, page 51)

— 3 —
Scouting aircraft are, of course, defensive weapons, but they can always be loaded with
bombs ; they may thus play an offensive part, though less offensive than the regular bombers,
whose special suspension gear ensures greater precision of aim, which enables them to hit
limited targets, such as ships, fair-sized buildings, factories, etc. In the case, however, of fairly
large objectives (towns, big industrial establishments, etc.), bomb-bearing scouts will produce
the same effects as bombing aircraft.
Chemical and bacteriological means of warfare, employed with the help of artillery or aircraft,
are all of a manifestly offensive character and specially suited for use against the civilian
population. The prohibition of these offensive weapons should involve that of incendiary
bombs and implements of a similar character.
Proposal II.
The Danish delegation proposes :
“ That a small technical commission be appointed to examine, in conjunction with
the Commission for Air Navigation placed under the authority of the League of Nations,
with the International Air Traffic Association, consisting of national associations grouped
together for commercial purposes, and with the International League of Aviators, the
possibility of internationalising civil aviation or of instituting strict international super¬
vision over it, with the object of preventing its employment for military purposes.”
With a view to giving effect to the suggestion set forth in the French proposal
and reiterated by several other delegations, including the Danish delegation, for the inter¬
nationalisation of civil aviation or the institution of supervision over it, it will, no doubt, be
of practical value to discuss the question at once with the representatives of the big inter¬
national federations which have already set up an important international civil aviation
organisation.
Proposal III.
The Danish delegation proposes :
“ That the examination of the extent to which the prohibition of the several
specifically offensive arms would reduce the level of armaments and the military
expenditure of countries in which such arms have assumed considerable proportions be
referred to the special Commissions—Land, Naval, Air—and to the National Defence
Expenditure Commission.”
The organisations particularly concerned in the work of the League of Nations—the
Interparliamentary Union, the Federation of League of Nations Societies and other bodies—
have put forward the idea of fixing a percentage which might be taken as a guide for the
reduction of the existing level of armaments of countries not already bound in this respect.
The Danish delegation took up this idea in its suggestions of February 20th, 1932,
convinced as it is that it will be necessary to agree on certain general principles if any result
is to be obtained.
Failing such general principles, it will be very difficult to agree on the figures to be inserted
in the draft Convention framed by the Preparatory Commission. Most of the States, if asked
what figures they wish to have inserted, would probably reply : “ That depends on what
figures are decided upon for the other States whose armaments concern us particularly”.
And even if some of them reply without knowing the figures put forward by the others, the
figures they give will in many cases probably be very high. With this method, there would thus
in reality be a risk of opening the door to competition in armaments, instead of paving the
way for their reduction. The only means of obviating this danger would be to resort to private
conversations between certain groups of States. Negotiations of this kind will certainly be
necessary, at all events between the big Powers.
It would undoubtedly be an excellent thing to agree in advance on a common starting-
point and on a principle to be taken as a general basis for the reduction of armaments.
As regards the starting-point, it is only natural to turn to the present level of armaments
of the various States, that level being normally the point where all those factors converge
which are characteristic of the political, geographical and economic situation of the country
in question. True, there are exceptions ; there are new countries which have not yet organised
their armaments in conformity with their actual requirements ; there are others which, for
one reason or another, are keeping their armaments at a very different level from what has
ordinarily been adopted by Powers of a similar character. In such cases, it will be natural
to make adjustments, if the States in question so desire. As a general rule, however, the
existing level of armaments can be taken as a starting-point. Once agreement has been reached
on that basis, it would be possible to take as a general guide a certain percentage of reduction.
The Interparliamentary Union and the Federation of League of Nations Societies have proposed
25 per cent, other groups 15 per cent. Those figures, needless to say, are open to discussion.