NAVAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1927, Page 2

NAVAL CONFERENCE

(Australir n it N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, July 12. The Australian Press Association correspondent at Geneva says: Mr AV. C. Bridgeman stated that exchanges of views on a new British thesis had led him to believe that the postponed plenary sitting might be held on Wednesday or Thursday. This new thesis bad not previously been fully considered, owing to America’s suggestion that she wanted to be tree to build twenty-five of the Washington typo of cruisers. It was the latter suggestion that almost caused a deadlock. Continuing, Mr Bridgeman. said:— “I do not believe that it is generally understood flint, ten thousand ton ships armed with eight-inch guns are two and a half times more powerful than any cruiser afloat, armed with six-inch guns. The American position is result of the so-called disarmament i conference increasing the aggressive power of navies. The American pro position is that we should first- bind ourselves to a total tonnage limit, thus leaving the United States to fill the class with whatever size cruisers she cares to build. It seems to me like asking Britain to close her eyes and open her mouth and take whatever America likes to give her. Our new proposal is simple and straight forward. It is that each party is to agree not to build more than a fixed number of various types of cruisers within ,n given period of years. The United States would be able to build up to our strength in the largest type of cruisers using the remainder of ihe tonnge allowance for whatever other types sho may desire. AYe simply want to know what the other Powers are planning in order to cut our cloth accordingly. Britain is prepared to accept a total aggregate of four hundred thousand tons for cruisers and destroyers, provided that the number of cruisers of ten thousand tons is fixed for all the three Powers. Mr AA r . C. Bridgeman made his statement to the British press excutsively. This he did as a protest against misrepresntation ot the Bt'itish'caso in a section of the American press LONDON. July 11. Semi-official information that has been received in London leads official circles here to refuse to consider that Hie Geneva Conference has reached a deadlock. They believe that the. postponement of the Plenary Session will give the experts an opportunity of making a new line of approach Lithe cruiser question, which, it is possible, may take tho form c f an alternative to the tonnage basis when fixing the ratio of the various navies.