WASHINGTON.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17419, 1 April 1922, Page 9

WASHINGTON.

THE CONFERENCE AND ITS RESULTS. (specially written tob "the frESS."i [By Captain E- 0. Mousley, Secretary for New Zealand to the "Washington Conference.] On my return to New Zealand, after eleven years of study, travel, and service abroad, I have been requested to say something of the "Washington Conference, and of my general impression. As my duties at Washington included those of Publicity Officer, I have been accorded permission to do so. The data has already given to the Press. While ratification of the various Treaties is pending, a noncontroversial point of view will perhaps be excused.—E.O.M. V. NAVAL PROPOSAL. The proportion of reduction proposed was roughly 40 per cent, of the navies of the United States, British Empire, and Japan. This percentage of reduction, however, was not applied to tho fleets of France and Italy, which have been left undeveloped for some years. The United States retains eighteen capital ships, the British Empire twentytwo, and Japan, France, and Italy ten each. The total tonnage of capital 6hips allowed to the foregoing Powers in the order given was 5, 5, 3, 1.75, 1-75 respectively. "With certain special exceptions rendered necessary by discrepancy between the fleets in point of modernity, the Contracting Powers agree during tho duration of the Treaty to construct no further capital Existing ships, when the age-limit is reached, may be replaced., the maximum limit being set to a capital ship at 35,000 tons, and tho gun calibre at 16 inches. In the case of the British Empire, the firt>t replacement begins in 1931, and is to bo completed in 193 i. Tho replacement table eet out in tho Treaty gives the ships which are to be destroyed immediately, and also in the future when, tlhe ago limit is reached. It gives the date of replacement by a new ship, both as to when it may be laid down and when completed. The exception to tho rule that no building of capital sliijw excopt by replacement sliall proceed during the duration of the Treaty refers to tho arrangement rendered necessary by Japan retaining the Mutsu, commissioned a few days before tho Conference started, and the only battlcdhip dfloat embodying the lessons of Jutland, which tho Hood only partly embodies, rfy this arrangement, the United States is allowed to complete two ships \vh;eii when completed two other ships on the list of those to be retained by Iher are to be destroyed. The British Empire builds two new battleships not exceeding 35,000 tons, on the completion of which four ships are to be destroyed. This provision will enable us also to embody the lessons of Jutland, and for this purpose none of the four Hoods, at present being laid down, can be utilised, as their contemplatc-a tonnage * was about 48,000 tons. The object of the 35,0C0 tons restriction was to prevent competition in size of capital Ships similar to what has taken place in the construction of leviathans of tJio .mercantile marine.

NAVAL HOLIDAY. The above arrangement minimises a difficulty inherent in the idea of a naval holiday. The Royal N«vy stands for a. great tradition, high, discipline, : and organisation, and it is only through thia accumulated disposition of hundreds of years t)hat the ltoyal Navy is what it is. These factors relate not only to the Fleet itself, but to the general arrangements of the Admiralty for construction —personnel of dockyards, . armament plants, etc. A naval holiday for fifteen years would have meant a great break in continuity, which would have been seriously felt when the holiday was over.. While the idea of a naval iholiday has been preserved, the design of the Treaty is towards rendering' the limitation of armament as permanent as possible even beyond the holiday. AUXILIARY CRAFT. This covers everything not a capital ship or aircraft carrier. As a result of the Conference being unable to reach an agreement on tho problem of the abolitibn of submarines, the construction of auxiliary craft is left unrestricted, except tor certain limitations, that is to say, must neither exceed 10,000 tons or carry a gun over six inches. If theso limitations are ex-ceeded-an auxiliary vessel of war would be classed as a capital ship, and therefore related to the replacement table. From the point of view of the British Empire, the importance of this freedom from restriction in the construction of auxiliary craft cannot be overemphasised while the submarine menace continues. The limitation of naval armament necessarily cuts into the conception of the great battle fleets and self-contained combative units for operation on the high seas, but in the opinion of our naval experts our seI curity has not been diminished. Merchant ships may still be armed, but careful provisions exist in the Treaty... to prevent merchant ships in time of "peace lrom being prepared for the installation of warlike armaments or for the purposo_.of converting such ships into vessels of war, other than the necessary stiffening of decks for the mounting of guns not exceeding six inches calibre. The provision limiting auxiliary craft to 10,000 tons does not apply to vessels not specially built as tignting ships, but employed on fleet duties, such as troop transports. Care has been taken in the Treaty to prevent a State from having its replacement ship almost complete, and at the same time possessing the old ship practically intact with, for example, only a few fittings removed, which would have left two ships available to_ the Power in case of war —a useful "contribution to the provisions of the Treaty by the New Zealand Delegation, which discovered that the final draft of the Treaty had, in the course of alteration, dropped the vital distinction between "beginning to scrap" and the "first stage of scrapping."

CONSTRUCTION. There is an important provision by which Contracting Powers agree not to sell or dispose of ai# vessel of war in such a manner that the vessel may become a vessel of war in the navy of any foreign Power, i lie right to construct four a foreign Power, however, is retained so long as the limitation in size of tonnage and guns required by tiie Treaty for any vossol of war belonging to the Power constructing the. ship is observed. . . ~ . ~ Technical provisions ensure that the scrapping or demolition shall be thoroughly carried out and prevent the reconversion of other craft into vessels of war. Aircrjiit tonnago is limited as follows: — United States ... ••• British Empire... ... 135,000 France 00,000 Italy ••• Japan 8l,0«J The tonnago of an aircraft carrier itself is limited to 27,000 tons, with this provision, however, that each Contracting Power may have not more than two aircraft carriers not exceeding 33,000

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tons. This was done to facilitate the utilisation of certain ships on the scrapped list, which is allowed by special provision. EFFECT OF WAB ON THE TEEATY. Article XXH. provides that when any Contracting Power is engaged in war, which, in its opinion, affects the naval defence of its own security, such Power may, on notice to the other Contracting Powers, suspend for the war its obligations under the Treaty, except that even in the case of war it is not freo to utilise among its force any vessel of war under construction for another Power, or any other ship "scrapped" under the Treaty. _ On receipt of this notice, the remaining Contracting Powers agree to consult together (not necessarily to hold a. conference) with a view to agreement as to what temporary modification, if any, should bo made in the Treaty as between themselves. If such consultation does not produce agreement, any of the Contracting Powers may, by giving notice, also suspend its obligations during the war,.and on the cessation of hostilities the Contracting Powers agree to meet in conference to consider "what modifications should bo mado in the provisions of the Treaty. That is to say, that every effort uas been made to keep the Treaty alive oven, if possible, during a war. The duration of tho Treaty is for fifteen years, provided notice to terminate shall have | been given two years before the fifteen years are up. Within one year of the dato on which notice of termination by any Power has taken effect, all the Contracting Powers agree to meet in conference. Article XXI. allows for the possibility of any vast political change or- developmont in invention which would render the definite obligations under the Treaty irksome to any Contracting Power unless amended, und in any case a conference of all the Contracting Powers is definitely arranged | t 0 be convened as soon as possible after eight years to consider what amendments, if any, may bo necessary to meet a'ny interim scientific or technical development. [ (To be continued.)