NAVAL LIMITATION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 21 November 1927, Page 8

NAVAL LIMITATION

THE BRITISH POLICY RESTATED BY BRIDGEMAN. (British Official Wireless). Rugby Nov. 18. The First Lord of the Admiralty, the Hon. W. C. Bridgeman, in a speech last night said that at Geneva he worked with Viscount Cecil, who was an old personal friend. They had worked together with the greatest cordiality and in the conduct of the business of the naval limitation conference there had been no difference between them on any important Step. He added: "Ws went to Geneva with our plans very carefully prepared, we were very clear as to what our policy ought to be. If our proposals had been carried there would have been a saving ot something like £50,000,000 to £100,000,000 in a few years to the British taxpayer and a standard would have been set of much lower aggressive strength for the fleets of the world. Continuing, he said: “We felt that the proper way to limit armaments was to reverse the policy of building larger and longer ships and to reduce the maximum size. There were two things which I could not accept —1 could not agree to something which would deprive Britain of the security which is necessary for her existence, or to sign an agreement in the name of limitation which, in my opinion, would not have reduced but increased armaments and the expense of the armaments of the world.” COOLIDGE'S "CONSTR UCTION PROGRAMME. Washington, Nov. 18. White House states that while President Coolidge ehpects that the navy will be increased by some cruisers, the Geneva failure will have no effect on the programme which he will recommend to Congress.—(A. and N.Z.)