OLD BATTLESHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 22462, 6 October 1936, Page 12

OLD BATTLESHIPS

JAPAN TO REPLACE THEM Replacement of four aged capital ships probably will be a principal feature of the Japanese Navy’s “ third replenishment programme,” writes a Tokio correspondent to the New lork ‘ Times.’ . Navy officials, formulating a fave-year programme, with expenditures estimated as 2,000,000,000 yen (£116,000,000), were said to believe at least two of the ships would be started next year under the programme. They declined to discuss reports of speed in British and American naval activities. Writers for .newspapers, however, scoffed at reports current in London that the Japanese were planning super-dreadnoughts larger than any afloat and carrying 18in guns. The four Japanese battleships whose doom is forecast are each of 29,330 tons. All are more than 20 years old. The Anglo-Russian naval discussions which have been proceeding at intervals for the last two months have reached a favourable but provisional conclusion, the final embodiment of which in a bilaterial treaty now depends on the attitudes of Germany and Japan, wrote Charles Selden from London. AGREEMENT’S PROVISIONS. The agreement provides qualitative limitation of war craft and exchange of information concerning future construction,- which were the two main principles of the naval treaty concluded on March 25 by the United States, Great Britain, and France. The terms of the understanding have been communicated to Paris, Washington, Tokio, Berlin, and Rome. Fulfilment now depends on whether Germany and Japan will commit themselves in the same manner. That is the condition imposed by Russia before she will sign the treaty. So Germany will be asked to supplement _ her existing naval treaty with Britain by a further agreement covering qualitative control and mutual information Tt is hoped by the British Admiralty and Foregin Office that, in view of the fact that Russia, herself a Far Eastern Power, is now ready to accept restrictions, Japan will also see her way clear to subscribe to these principles of the Three-Power Treaty, which thus far she has refused to accept. The British Government is also to approach Denmark with the intention of including all the Baltic Powers in the group governed by the same naval understanding. One of the special points in the Anglo-Russian agreement is that the Soviet will have the right to build seven 10,000-ton ciuisers, armed with Tin guns.