The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, FEBRUARY, 10, 1930. GETTING DOWN TO REAL BUSINESS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11127, 10 February 1930, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, FEBRUARY, 10, 1930. GETTING DOWN TO REAL BUSINESS.

The most important feature of tlm Naval Conference, so far is, unquestionably. the fact- that Britain and the United States would appear to he working together splendidly. From what can bo gathered, the United States has now made an offer that is likely to provide a satisfactory solution of the most substantial disagreement between the two great An-glo-Saxon nations. Seemingly, the United States has become reconciled to Britain’s demand for the right- to have a sufficient number of light cruisers to afford protection in respect of her lengthy trade mutes. In return for that concession, however, Britain has been invited to allow the United States slight superiority in the matter of capital vessels. Should the proposal now put forward by the United States prove acceptable to Britain, it will mean that both nations will have navies approximately of equal strength although differing in regard to the manner in which they will he made up. On the face of things it would seem that the United States must have a special reason for holding out for the right to- have a navy in which the percentage of-tonnage represented by large cruisers will be high. It is patent also that the United States has not in mind the likelihood that war may take place with Britain. ( She- lias learned one of the greatest lessons of the world war: and that is that, in ease of a conflict, the side with the most vessels of formidable dimensions has tile letter chance of escaping attack along its coasts. What prevented Germany from making more raids on the English coast was, assuredly, the presence of the ever vigilant British high-sea fleets. How Japan will view the, suggested Anglo-American parity compromise! remains to he seen. It is not improbable that she, too, will demand that her naval forces shall include a heavy proportion of capital vessels. Should such he the case, and should the United States complain, Japan will be entitled to ask how it comes about that the United States feels that she requires a larger number of capital ships- than Britain. In turn, Japan may claim to be allowed a higher ratio of big ships than idas fixed in her favor at the Washington Conference. The Era neo-Ital-ian problem is, admittedly, of at least as difficult a character and if these two nations arc, hot disposed to agree ,as between themselves, the chances, of an early successful issue being reached will not by any means lie .improved. ,