AMERICAN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1927, Page 3

AMERICAN ITEMS

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.]

CANADA READY IF NECESSARY OTTAWA, Feh. 10.

' ‘‘Under present conditions tire Government feels no useful purpose would be served by the despatch of Canadian troops to China,” Premier King stated in the Commons to-day. He said if the circumstances changed Government would probably consult Parliament in regard to the Canadian policy. OBITUARY. OTTAWA. Feh. 10. Honourable J. Tv. Flemming. M.P., former Premier of the Province of New Brunswick, is dead, aged oil. He was successively a schoolmaster, salesman, shopkeeper, lumber operator and politician. MISSING OARSMAN. J.OS ANGELES, Feb. 10. The police have commenced an investigation into- Major Goodsell’s whereabouts, following the receiot of a cable from Sydney expressing the belief he is held for ransom in Mexico. HUGE EIRE. NEW YORK. February 0. Damage- estimated at a million to one and n-linlf million dollars was caused bv a fire in Brooklyn navy yard. Five anti-aircraft guns were destroyed. MESSAGE TO CONGRESS. WASHINGTON. February 10. President C'oolidge in a message to Congress, announced that the notes sent to Britain. France. Italy and Japan, suggesting that thev were to empower the delegates at Geneva, preparatory to the commission on disarmament. to negotiate and conclude at an early date, the agreement further limiting naval armaments, covering the classes of vessels that are not covered by the Treaty of Washington. LIMITING CRUISERS AND DESTROYERS. ANOTTIER CONFERENCE. (Received this day at 10.25 a.m.) _WASHINGTON. February 10. President C'oolidge in a message, after outlining the instructions given Ambassadors for transmitting a copy of memorandum conveyed to nations, said: “In part 1 wish to inform Congress of the considerations which moved me to take this action in support or all measures looking to the preservation of peace in the world. It has long been established as a fundamental policy of this Government. The American Government and people are convinced competitive armaments constitutes the most dangerous contributing cause of international suspicion and discord and are calculated eventually to lead to war. The recognition of this fact and a desire as far as possible to remove this danger led the American Government in 1921 to call the Washington Conference. At that time we were engageed in u great building programme” which would have given us first place on sea. We felt then, however. and we, fee! now that the policy we then advocated—that of deliberate self-denial and limitation of naval armament by the great naval Powerspromised the attainment at last of peace. In a worthy mutual agreement and concession at Washington Conference we found other nations prompted liy the same desire ns ourselves to remove naval competition from the list of possible causes of international discord. The memorandum itself which tho Americans Ambassadors handed the Powers goes into much greater detail concerning the armament situation than President Coolidge’.s message to Congress. It outlines reasons actuating the American Government in making the proposals, but generally covers the same ground ns the memorandum. It points out the final Geneva Conference will probably not lie able to meet during the present year, and the coniine into effect of the agreements reached ’— it might be delayed for a considerable period. For a multitude of reasons the American Government, therefore, believes those Powers which are in a position to engage in further limitation now. would not be justified in nostponing the efforts in that direction,