NAVAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1927, Page 2

NAVAL CONFERENCE

BRITAIN’S ( REISER LIMIT. (Australis n & X.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, July 11. All the messages from Geneva anticipate the failure of the Conference. To-day (the Central News Agency says) Mr W. C. Bridgman (Britain), Mr Gibson (America), and Baron Saito (Japan), and the Secretary met in an endeavour to reach a settlement on the cruiser question. The result has not been disclosed. Each will make a full statement of their views to-day.

The point of the deadlock is that Britain wants to have 593,000 tonnage in cruisers. America is for 450.000 of a cruiser tonnage, to which Japan is understood to he also favour: ihle. Anti-British opinion accuses Britain of keeping the card up her sleeve tlial she .is aide to equip 49 last merchant ships with six-inch guns. It is also believed that Mr Gibson will stress this point in combating the British small cruiser limit.

The most popular suggestion for a solution is the adoption ol two cruiser categories. if this is impossible, the other points of agreement may go overhoard. since America declares the other argeements are contingent upon an agreement on the tonnage of all the categories. GENEVA. July 11. Mr Bridgeman’s proposal' to postpone to-day’s Plenary Conference is due to a desire to reconsider the naval building programme specifying future British and American construction over a period of years. This has not yet I'ceil published, though the experts have considered it.

The "Daily Telegraph’s" Geneva correspondent savs: —The policy of the American Delegation throughout has been to hold meetings in private, but, somehow, what took place in the committee room has always appeared the following day in the American newspaper... The British Delegation feels that the British attitude has been persistently misrepresented by the l nited States. Hence it is desirable that the meetings should he public.

The " Morning Post's ’’ Geneva correspondent states:—A remarkable feature of the Conference has been the spirit of compromise and conciliation which the Americans have taken up. League of Nations circles, however, see a blasting of all hopes for general world disarmament.

Mr W. ('. Bridgeman suggested to Mr Gibson that a postponement to-day of the Plenary Conference might have advantageous results. America agreed to this. Japan is also probably willing to agree.