DISARMAMENT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20171, 25 February 1931, Page 11

DISARMAMENT.

+—■ FRENCH ARMY ESTIMATES. COMPARISON WITH OTHER NATIONS. (CKITED PBJSBB ASSOCIATION—BT ELBOTEXO TELEQEAPH—COPSMOHT.) LONDON, February 23. The Paris correspondent of "The Times" says that a report on the military estimates/ which has, been sub-, aritted to the Chamber of Deputies, envisages the Disarmament Commission's discussions and presents tho French cause in a most favourable light. The liomtf Army vote is shown as £38.000,000 and the overseas Army, votes as £13,000,000. i The aggregate is £60,000 more than last year. , i The military expenditure lins allegedly decreased by 10 per cent, since 1914, while the United States has , increased its expenditure by 86 t per , cent, and Japan by 4® P er 06 , , n " tain is shown as having decreased her ( expenditure by 1 per cent, and Italy | by 14 per cent. + France compares iier 552,000 men at i home and overseas witn Britain's] 510,000 regulars, 277.000 militia, and , 43,000 in overseas formations. Italy, i the report states, has 303,000. regulars | and 110,000 - police and militia, Germany 100,000 regulars and l'oo,ooo seouritv police LONDON NAVAL TREATY. ANGLO-FRENCH AGREEMENT LIKELY. LONDON, February 24. The announcement was made in the House of Commons this evening that the Foreign Secretary (Mr Arthur Henderson) and the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V. Alexander) left London for Paris to-day to continue the discussions with the Trench Government on the naval question. The statement added that the other Powers who were signatories to the London Naval Treaty had been kept informed of these developments. The Ministers were accompanied by Mr B.jL. Craigie, of the Foreign Office, who on various occasions since last year's London Naval-Conference has visited Paris and Rome to discuss naval building programmes with the l French and Italian experts. Mr Walford Selby, of the Foreign Office, and Commander Bittleston, of the Admiralty, 1 were also-of the party. While the Dominion Prime Ministers are daily informed of the developments of Mr Craigie's AnglorFranco-Italian negotiations, events moved quickly during the week-end,' resulting in Mr Honderson, Mr Alexander, Mr Craigie, and Foreign Office officials, and members of the Admiralty staff leaving for Paris to-day. Mr Craigie was Mr Ramsay Mac Donald's right-hand man at the Naval Conference, since when the negotiations have been continuous. The cal climax came .when Mr Hon' derson and M. Briand (France): recently went to Geneva to a meeting of the League Council, travelling in the sapie compartment. Mr Henderson apparently ' secured certain concessions from jVL Briand -hitherto feared unachievable, culminating in to-day's hurried trip. * • Official circles suggest that two m'em-. bers of the Cabinet would not oiajkesucb -a' journey unless agreement near. It 1b believed that the agreement would no,t include the full concessions, Britain desired, but would be considered' sufficient. to' ensure Britain Undertaking no new building beyond what the Xion» don agreement provides, though existing tonnage will not;be reduced. ~ This is embodied in Article 21 in the recent treaty, known as,the'"escalator" .clause, involvingj-the transference-, of tonnage. All of Britain's recent, efforts have sought to prevent ,thia being- invoked, and to persuade the French Gov* ernment to accept certain reductions of its London programme. This buildifag entailed Britain following suit, at enormous expenditure, and/ added to-the huge Budget .deficit. > jew. points re* main to be settled' in -connexion with .the proposed agreement (which ik tripartite) ,with Italy, ; who must . be •further consulted. ; 'j- i-' 1 The French/delegates ■ in claimed that tho twtgin of superiority 'of the French over the Italian -' Navy should be 244,000 tons; usable outride the leaving ,|44»000 in hand to counterbalance the German strmgth and 100,000 tons for Colonial .defence. It understood -that" Mr Craigie - aimed, at a 'matgin of 150,000 tons of new vessels, plus the older "units of tho French Navy. The ques tion of - French , suhmarifae tonnage Chiefly delayed Francorßritish, , agreement. " i •,/>-* j i. '' 'j;., i; i '■' Vl .