The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1927. THE NAVAL HOLD-UP.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1927, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1927. THE NAVAL HOLD-UP.

The situation at Geneva where the Three-Power Naval Conference has ueeii in progress now for some time, is still more or less obscure. There have been various alarms and excursions, the Cnited States views being the chief cause of finality being avoided. According to cable messages Great Britain and Japan have reached an agreement more or less acceptable, only to find America turning the suggestion down with a thump. Naturally great interest centres in this Conference which is of world-wide importance. At the moment tlie British delegation has returned to London not as an indication that the conference is likely to he abortive, but for the purpose of final consultation with the British Cabinet before Mr Baldwin (Prime Minister) leaves for Canada. An outstanding feature of the Conference was the plain and open statements on behalf of Great Britain's neeessaiy demands and the very material reasons for same. The obstacle to co-operation and mutual concession all along, says the Auckland Star has been the unbending and dictatorial attitude assumed by the American delegation. They insist that there must he no going hack on the decisions of the Washington Conference, and they demand that the other Powers shall accept, virtually without condition or amendment, the programme that the American naval experts have drafted. This uncompromising wav of dealing w ith questions on which a wide diversity of opinion is possible is hardly calculated to make for unity and peace. And the whole situation has been rendered much more difficult and embarrassing by the fact that the American proposals are put forward solely from tlie American point of view, and make no pretence of considering the actual needs and requirements of other Powers. The main crux of the controversy all along has been

I lie size and number of large cruisers to lie allowed to the respective Powers. Mr liridgetnan lias explained publicly that Britain never did approve of 10.-090-1 on cruisers equipped with 8-inch guns. But. those powerful lighting 111 ; 1 (-7 1 ill os. which, as (he ‘‘Manchester Guardian’’ lias said, arc lit only for aggressive warfare, are highly valued by the Americans, 'who positively refuse to consider seriously Japan’s protest against the immense expense they must involve. M r Gibson, the Leader of the American delegation, lias rather e. n tempt (inns |\- attributed Japan's plea for smaller warships of all classes t-> her ‘‘poverty.” but tliis is .surely no teason why such a proposal should lie ignored by a Conference whie.lt professes to he engaged in cutting down the world's naval expenditure. If ilia Americans persist in their demand for heavy cruisers as well ns enormous battleships, the effect must he. as the British First Lord, lias said somewhat bitterly, that the chief work of this disarmament conference will ho to increase vastly the aggressive power of the world’s navies. This is had enough, hut an even worse feature of the American attitude is their evident expectation that the other Powers shall nit only accept the principles that America lays down, Unit shall leave the method of carrying those principles into effect entirely to her discretion and go-d will. A,s Mr Bridgotnn 11 lias explained. if the British delegates accept the American proposals in regard to cruisers, ‘‘we would first hind ourselves to the total tonnage, leaving the Gnit<nl States to fill the class with whatever size of cruiser she wanted,” which, as the First Lord of the Admiralty cynically observed, seems like “asking Britain to close her eyes and open her mouth and take whatever America likes to give.” And because British declines to he treated in this preposterous fashion American newspapers are full of misrepresentation and malignant insinuations about her supposed sinister motives. In till the circumstances the British delegation i.s displaying considerable patience which is really something more than an existence of good faith in the matter. Actually, therefore, we may he hopeful that something more or less settled will eventuate from tlie Naval Conference.