THE FIFTY CRUISERS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 38, 14 February 1930, Page 9

THE FIFTY CRUISERS

ENOUGH FOE EMPIRE?

MACDONALD SAYS WHY

British Official Wireless.

(Received 14th February, 11 a.m.)

RUGBY, 13 th February.

In the House of Commons to-day the Prime Minister was asked by Mr. Baldwin what were the naval standards in respect of cruisers and what were the reasons for the variation by which the Admiralty was guided at the present time, and which had led'to a variation of those standards which were enforced by tho late Government, and also what-,-was flic programme of naval replacement construction which . tho Government considered necessary to sustain tho approved standard during tho nextjsix years. *

Replying, Mr. Mac Donald said that tho decision to take tho reduced number of 50 cruisers as tho minimum required for our needs had been reached by taking into account tho measure of security accorded by the signature to the Pact of Paris for the Renunciation of War by most of tho nations of the world, including all the naval Powers, not only those who were members of the * League, but also tho United States. With such a powerful support for the Pact, tho Government felt justified in looking forward:to a period in which armed conflict need not be expected. The proposed reduction in the number of cruisers to 50 was, of course, dependent on an agreement at tho Naval Conference and the limitation of tho projected building programmes being made by other Powers, and would bo for the period covered by such agreement. Tho programme of replacement must to a certain extent depend on the naturo of agreements which might be reached at tho Naval Conference, and it was not possible to state what they would be.