ITALY'S MEMORANDUM

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 42, 19 February 1930, Page 9

ITALY'S MEMORANDUM

CONTENTS ANTICIPATED

PARITY STAND MAINTAINED

British Official Wireless.

(Received 19tli February, 11 a.m.)

KUGBY, 18th February. In the absence of the chief French delegates owing to tho political crisis in Paris, littlo progress was made to;day in the work of the. London Naval .Conference, but consultations between other delegations are proceeding, and this afternoon' at the House of Commons ■• Mr. MdcDouald met Signor Graiuli and Mr. Stimson. It is understood that Signor Grandi disclosed the contents of tho Italian memorandum which will shortly be circulated to delegates imCL published. ;When this document'is before* the Conference it is considered tliat tho views of all the delegations will be known and figures will be available which will form a basis for determining tho naval tonnage figures to bo allotted to tho different Powers in the various categories of ships' for which the selection table has been prepared: ' It is stated- that the Italian memorandum will reaffirm Italy's original viewpoint of desiring the Conference t to arrive. at a. limitation of naval armaments as low as possible, but will,maintain Italy's right to possess- naval forces equal in tonnage to any other Continental Power. Tho Note will, it is said, emphasise tlmt, as Italy wanted to eleminate ill armament competition, sho lias abstained since tho Washington Conference from establishing auy long term naval programme, believing that the world has entered into a, period of real limitation. Italy, since the Washington, Conference, has .contented

herself with building Bhips only to cover immediate relative needs. Tho memorandum gives figures to show that in surfaco ships outsido those limited by the Washington Conference Italy possesses, either on the water or under construction, roughly the same number as France.