HARDER THAN EXPECTED

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 45, 22 February 1930, Page 9

HARDER THAN EXPECTED

FIVE-POWER AGREEMENT CONCESSIONS' NEEDED British Official Wirolcsj. (Eeccived 22nd February, 11 a.m.) KUGBY, 21st February. Commeutiug on tho conference, the "Times" to-day says: "The British and American memoranda made it clear that, if those two Powers alone were concerned, there would be little trouble in fixing programmes for the next five years, which would substantially reduce the burden and menace of naval armaments, and open up the way for further reductions in future conferences. But this is a Five-Power Conference, and what it has been set to achieve is a Five-Power agreement to reduce the naval programmes of all the five, and to be capable of being made the basis of an all-round agreement at tho General Disarmament Conference, which it is proposed to suml as soon as tho circumstances are favourable.

"A study of tho different memoranda submitted shows that this is goiug to be an even more difficult matter than was expected, especially as some of the figures, if they were translated into actual tonnage, would involve v very considerable increase in tho programmes contemplated by Great Britain and the United States. But whilo uo Power can be expected to make any concession really imperilling its security, all Powers may fairly bo asked to consider whether an international agreement for five years does not justify a greater readiness to reduce their armaments than some of them havo yet shown, and whether either their security or their navies and ports will really be endangered by accepting compromises, which, if they should provo unsatisfactory, can bo reviewed at the next conference iv 1936, in the light of tho situation as it then presents itself.

"Great Britain, by suspending work on tho Singapore Base, and by many drastic cuts in her constructive programme, has already gone to the extreme length in way of reduction. During the adjournment of the conference, the other Powers might usefully ask themselves whether they cannot come some way in the same direction."