CONFERENCE, London, Jan. 27.
Mr. Asthur Henderson left ondon tonday for Paris en route to Geneva, to preside'at the forth: Toning Disarmament "Conference, which opens next Tuesday, He Rccompanied by Mrs. Henderson by Me, Phillip Baker, who was his Parliamentary private. secretary Goring the last Parliament.
Special interest attaches to Mr. Menderson'ss chairmanship of the conference as he now holds. no office inthe British Government and is not even a member of Parliament. He was invited. to preside at the Genterence whey "hep was Foreign retary i Ramsay" Dae: Donald's Labour Government. "He is post when 3 formed his National Govern. rent towards the end of August and Inevtain quarter e was confidently expected" that, in consequence, Would decline the honour of the Disarmament Conference. Me. Henderson, however, ignored all suggestions to this effect and even When he was defeated as. Labour Jnember for Burnley in the sub-Seguent general lection, remained steadfast in his refusal to relinquish Tel chama na nad opi Parliament both the Prime Minster jen the matter cropped. up in'
fan Mr Henderson's successor, Sein Simon, said that the question was not for' the British Government Tovgecide" but. for. the League of Nations," which had invited - atr. Henderion to preside at the Confer-nce "one League naturally dd pot Smithdraw. the Tnvitayion and Mr. Hrenderson now gocs=a_ man with Sut office—to one of the "most Ime
Fecont years.
Bereant conferences to bet eld Tu tis officially announced that the British delegation to the Conference consist of the following:—Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister.
Mr. J. H, Thomas, Secretary for the Dominions.
Lord Hailsham, Secretary for War.
Lord Londonderry, Secretary for Sir Bolton Byres Monsell, First Lord of the Admiralty:
Mrs, Corbett Ashby, substitute
Mr, Ramsay MacDousid will at "delegate. tend the opening of Parliament on February and then proceed to Berlin, Jan. 25.
Recent allegations of secret Ger-aman armaments made in the French fate by General Bourgeois were refuted tonly by the Minister of Defence, General Greener, in an interview. with the Berlin cor. respondent of the Paris "Votonts."
The superficial nature of General charges, General Groen-{in opening the inter View, was amply demonstrated by his allegations that the German faymy' had an unduly large proper tion of non-commissioned officers. If General Bourgeois would only have taken the trouble to glance at the military clauses of the Versailles Treaty, he would have found That the number of non-commissioned officers corresponded " exactly With that laid down in that treaty by the Allied exports. themselves, General Greener added.
Germany has conscientiously fulfilled all her obligations under the treaty and is now completely disarmed, the minister continued and, support of his statement, referred. to the declaration of Marshal Foch before the budget committee of the French Chamber on January 31,1027. "I can confirm that Germany's disarmament has been ally carried through, the mar-thal said at the time, General Greener added, insisting' that no changes whatever had taken place ince then in the German army.
he German army and navy estimates never totalled more than fourth of France's military and naval expenses and would even lower if we were not compelled to maintain "an army of professional soldiers which is. very much more expensive than the conscript Yom, and less efficient. Moreover, since 1928 our estimates have been steadily curtailed while those of France have risen as ste Referring to the allegations that Germany's large political orzanisations sich atthe Steclhelmet As: sociation had a semi-military character, the minister uttered a. Yehement denial. None of these Greanisations, he declared, had any Sums. and neither could' they supplied by the army which had no reserves. whatever. Furthermore, the minister pointed out, Germany, unlike most other countries, had no Paris, Jan. 29.
The Bank of France to-day cided' to renew her quarter share fof. the. $100,000,000 credit to. the fieichsbank pravidgd that the Bank of linternational'Settiements, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York ud. the Bank of England do the Sime, and for an equal period of time.
France also stipulated that the Reichsbank obtain from the German Government. complete. assurance that the: latter wil not raise any Opposition to the transfer of gold which may be Iecessary for the repayment of credit.
understood that the dee sion wag made today after a consultation on the subject with the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.