Disarmament conference, 1932

Component identifier:

Series 56

Content Summary:

The World Disarmament Conference, which opened at Lausanne in February 1932, was organised by the League of Nations following the report of the Preparatory Commission in 1930. In the first phase of the Conference, when it was in plenary session, Australia was represented by Sir Granville Ryrie. Latham arrived in Lausanne in late April 1932 and stayed for about three weeks. At this stage work was being carried on by a series of committees, which discussed the idea of 'qualitative' disarmament and the definition of 'aggressive' and 'defensive' armaments. Latham left for London in mid May 1932 and Australia was subsequently represented by F. G. Shedden. The Conference adjourned in July 1932, having achieved negligible results. The Conference continued in 1933, but after Germany withdrew in October it gradually faded away.

Publications in this series include Latham's report to Parliament on the work of the Conference (25 July 1932), a statement concerning armaments in Australia (October 1931), the League of Nations pamphlet Disarmament, a list of the British delegation and staff and the directory of delegations. There are notes by Latham for meetings, and notes on the Imperial Defence College and the press in London. The correspondence (Items 48-171) includes letters from F. G. Shedden, and Sir Maurice Hankey, a report by Latham to Sir George Pearce, the draft of a letter to Arthur Henderson, the President of the Conference, Latham's report of a conversation with J. Ramsay MacDonald, a letter from the Marquis of Londonderry, the British Minister for Air, concerning a proposal to abolish the Royal Australian Air Force as a separate organisation, and a letter from Latham to J. A. Lyons, written in London.

The other papers consist of typescript and handwritten notes for speeches and press statements (Items 172-283), newscuttings, photographs, Latham's passport, publications which he collected while he was overseas, programs, menus, invitations to functions in Geneva and London, bills and miscellaneous documents.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The bulk of the collection was presented to the National Library by Sir John Latham in December 1963, a few months before his death. In November 1974 the Library purchased some further papers from a secondhand book dealer. They comprised family letters and photographs, some diaries and papers relating to the High Court. These papers have been amalgamated into the original collection.

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