Washington Conference.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 November 1921, Page 2

Washington Conference.

...no a./. CABi.E ASSOCIATION. xilii i'ItOUKLSS MADE. LONDON, Nov.. 15. jliere were no surprises to-day at the Plenary Conference. lion Balfour announced the British extend their heartiest and fullest sym--. pathy with the United States proposals, and have promised a full, loyal and complete co-operation. He did not go into details beyond those already indiI eated. ! Kato, (Japan) gladly accepted the proposals and principles. Japan was i ready to proceed with determination I for a sweeping reduction in naval armaments. Mr Hughes, adjourning the session, said disarmament went to the committee with an assurance that th© outcome of the Conference would be an agreement, which would mean that an offen- , site naval war will lie no more.

! GREAT BRITAIN’S POSITION, j / WASHINGTON, Nov. 15. I At the Conference, the three proi posals were presented with such art I tlmt it came as a profound shock and 1 surprise when they realised that a new chapter in the history of the world 1 was being worthily opened. I Hon Balfour then proceeded to compare tho business of the Empire’s position, which was dependant on food sup- ! plies from overseas, with its centre hatin<r never more than seven weeks supplies with that of the United States-, solid’ impregnable and self-sufficient, and wholly free from any particular perils, which the British Empire had to fear. These matters were remembered by our enemies; let them not be forgotten by our friends. The British delegation, having considered the scheme with admiration and approval, ' would agree with it in spirit and m 1 principle. They consider it the basis of 1 the greatest reform in armaments ever 1 conceived or carried out. It were folly to pretend that this, or any scheme, deals with every subject, for the tune I bein.r it omits consideration of other nations’ conditions, untouched by the heavy burden of land armaments. I Great Britain is in the heartiest and j full sympathy with the policy of t ie | United States, which .lightly takes the ! battle fleet, and complementary ves"ls, as a basis of discussion. We think

sols, as a basis ot aiscussiuu. ” v V\ the proportion of tonnage acceptable and its limitation reasonable. We think it should he accepted, and be.'liere it will ho accepted It will have 1 our full loyal and complete co-opera-tion. (prolonged applause). It is ht- ' tine to go into details, which can only 1 bo dealt with adequately in committee. | Our experts arc inclined to think a too large anfount of tonnage is permitted for submarines, which class ot . vessel were the most easily abused, ,ana I which were the most easily abused during the Great War. It might he practli t »bie and desirable to forbid altogether the construction of super-submarines, i which were used for offensive purposes, I and confine that arm of the navy to del fensive purposes alone. There were also questions of the manner of replace I monts and the tonnage of cruisers not connected with, and not required for, , licet action. The main plan was not affected bv these considerations.' Whatever happened that structure remained clear and firm. CAPETOWN COMMENT. , CAPETOWN, Nov. 15. The press warmly welcomes the disarmament proposals, although the first enthusiasm is slightly damped by the discovery that America will possess three post Jutland ships, against Britain’s one. The “Argus” says little as the dominions seem to recognise the fact, tin question of the relative strength of t British fleet to-day owing to the shifting of the centre of naval gravity i even more vital to the Dominions than the Mother Country. Even Australia which spent more on sea. defence than the rest of the dominions together acknowledges the Navy is ludicrously in-

adequate for the defence of her shores. Therefore it would be a serious matter if the British Navy sinks to the second

mark. Tn these circumstance it is regrettable that all the dominions are not represented at Washington forming 'part of what might have been a united British Empire delegation. JAPANESE VIEWS. TOKIO, Nov. 15. Vi ith few exceptions the press and publicists are gratified at Air Hughes’ proposals for navy reductions. ViceAdmiral Tunakoshi, commandant of Yokohama Arsenal, says a naval holiday would boa, disastrous blow to Japan’s dockyards. The Director of Alitubishi dockyard which holds contracts for new warships, predicts it would he a death-blow to Japan’s steel. industry, adding it is impossible to imagine Japan accepting the proposals as submitted. The President of the Bankers’ Association says’ it is a splendid scheme excepting for the temporary blow for the diipbuilding and steel industries and "ill create a general improvement in industrial conditions. The Foreign Office authorities state the proposals closely approximate the

instructions given the Japanese delegates to form it very fair basis for ne- ; gotiations. JAPANESE ALLIANCE. WASHINGTON, Nov. 1(1 i The indications to-night are that the general tendency towards international understanding as revealed at the contereiiee may result in Japan regarding the Anglo-Japanese Alliance as unnecessary. It is certain that a large body of * American Senators, led by Senator liorah, who succeeded in rejecting the Versailles Treaty Covenant, are not only antagonistic to the Japanese Treaty, but would strongly oppose any suggested understanding between the United States and Japan.

This feeling, which lias, solidified during the past few days, may do something to change the procedure regard? ing the Far Eastern question. it is known that Mr Hughes (F.S. Secretary) is anxious to follow the

same plan as that which was proved so successful in the case of disarmament, but it is not decided whether the proceedings tire to be absolutely secret. All sorts of precautions are being taken to prevent any leakage. The greatest difficulty now facing the Americans is the manner in which they can approach the question of the An-glo-Japnnc.se Alliance whereto they are not a party. Obviously the Americans cannot say that because they do not like the Treaty the British and Japanese must abrogate it. It is understood that Senator Lodge, who is a great personal friend of Mr Balfour, is acting as an intermediary in trying to devise some modus operaandi meeting the British view, that so long as Japan wants tho Treaty, the

British are bound, in honour, to preserve it, and on the other hand, smoothing the Japanese susceptibilities. The Americans are not unhopeful of success, though the situation is admittedly a delicate one.

The- Chinese official pronouncements indicate the Chinese delegation is not likely to insist on all the points of thenoriginal demands, especially regarding .Manchuria.

JAPAN’S POLICY IN FAR FAST WASHINGTON, Nov. lb

The “New York Times” announces that the Japanese Delegation has ready a well-defined programme regarding the Far Eastern question. Japan is willing to withdraw from Shantung. She seeks neither annexation nor a protectorate in connection with -Man-

churia. Japan, however, insists that she has special interests in Manchuria, based on propinquity, large investments, railways, and a well settled Japanese population. Japan also says she regards .Manchuria as an important standpoint for the protection of Japan .against any possible future Russian aggression. Japan wants in Siberia the right to penetrate peacefully for raw materia and trade, and is ready to withdraw when that can be done safely as the result of the establishment of some Government qualified to give protection. Japan favours the open door i» China; also equality of opportunity and a consortium of foreign powers as a means of controlling expenditure and loaned moneys. ~_ ~ >f Japan favours tl. stabilisation of China as the possible and nearest customer to Japan.

THE FAR EAST.

WASHINGTON, Nov. lb !t is somewhat significant that ai efforts to obtain official infhrmaGoii regarding the prospects of the discus - «-iii wjmunicatc its sittings to-morrow, wit - out anv public definition of views fiom lm United States. This is exactly contrary to the procedure on the case of the Armament question.

OFFICIAL REPORT,

WASHINGTON. Nov. 15 An official communique has been ■ sued 1 It states: —“The first meeting o the Committee on Armament^ wasj^^ America, the Wish Empire France, Italy and Japan. “A sub-committee, composed of ono technical advisor of each of the fno Powers was constituted, to take undo, immediate advisement' the 'melons raised mulcr the United States prop s als, and to report progress fiom til o to time. . , , , f f ..,i The suh-eonimittee consisted of * < onel Roosevcldt (chairman). Admirals Ucattv (Britain), De Boil (Franco), Action (Italy), and Kato (Japan), with power of substitution. “The Britisli delegation also met separately to discuss conduct of business methods procedure, and functioning. A general discussion on their attitude to various aspect of the Conference took place.”

COMMENTS ON SPEECHES. WASHINGTON, Nov. 15. As far as Australia is concerned, perhaps the most interesting feature of Balfour’s speech was his declaration that it might be advisable to forbid the construction of super submarines, jt is an open secret that the possibility of the existence of this type of craft, with a cruising range of over 10,000 miles, and carrying With torpedoes and mines, is a source ot much perturbation to the British oversea delegates. BRITAIN DISLIKES U-BOATS. The British view on submarine is that they are a very undesirable form of naval weapon, and that it should lie confined to defence purposes and that its tonnage should he limited, as in the case of haltlesSps. REPLACING BIG SHIPS. Some misunderstanding was cleared up to-day over the question of replacement. The British view is that naval .shipyards should always be kept in readiness. Their size should be limited to the capacity of one. ship yearly, and they should ho allowed instead of mniin ■tajning large private yards. Such yards might be used at any time during a naval holiday, in Britain’s view, whereas naval yards, with a strictly limited personnel, could not, CRUISERS AVANTED. A high British naval authority explained to-dav, regarding Mr Balfour's remarks about crosiers not connected with a battle fleet, that Air Balfour had referred to as a necessity, the policing of seas and the protecting of trade routes. Such ships, he said, would ho practically useless for fighting pur■posflls.

H. 0. WELL’S A’ JEWS. (Received This Day at 10.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, November lti. H. G. Wells, writing to the \ York -‘World” says Japan is peculiarly ■in obstacle to a practical informal federation of the world, to which we hope all things are moving. It occurs to me. with added force that Japan is not a people trying to express itself through Government, hut the Government is a small ruling class effectively possessing the obedience of a loving people, and that a small ruling i lass has a lung tradition for a romantic ,-h: •- .-droits swordsmanship. None could lie more urgent than 1 for a complete disarmament of the entire world, hut no one could he more convinced of the unwisdom of disarmament by America or any tlier ppwer, while any ■ingle country maintains a spirit that must head finally to a resumption of .car. Disarmament in such a situation is to leave trouble to accumulate upon our grand children and to patch up a peace based on a permitted extension of such power is simply to prepare for an expanded war in the future.

JAPANESE COMMENT. (.Received This Day at 9.40 a.in.) TOKIO, Nov. V 5. Comment among noted men and Government officials on America’s limitation programme varies interestingly. Baron Sakamoto an influential member of the House of Peers says the plan does not provide an equitably naval balance in the Pacific. President Unitkai of the National Party says, fair or not, Japan is compelled to see tile plan carried out as proposed. Admiral Hitako, naval commandant of the General Staff, says the ultimate object would be frustrated if there is any defect in the method of execution, no matter how plausible.