THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1927, Page 3

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

AM E R 1C A N~ CO M M E N T. (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received this day at 10.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, July 28. While there at present is much less comment in the American press on Geneva Conference than might have been expected, such leaders as are published reflect different attitudes. Probably the best example of tlie* critical' viewpoint is expressed in the “Journal of Commerce,” the oldest New York newspaper, which says: “The Hritisb are said to be greatly pained by tho’

tone of the American press reports emanating from Geneva discussion negotiations for naval disarmtment.

While denying any formal protest hasbeen received from Rritixh authorities or officials of the United States, the Department of State expresses the opinion that accounts in American press compare favourably with those published in English newspapers. Li this view of the ease American readers of certain English papers will heartily concur. Could any thing he more irritating to American sensibilities than the charge that our demands for naval parity were not made in good faith hut were presented for thy sake of selfadvertisement and a notice to the wori’d of the conviction of our equality. That is, nevertheless, the Impression certain British publishers desire to convey to their readers. Such all interpretation of our cl'nixer blliidiilg proposals is calculated to arouse quite as much.hard feeling ns Ihe allegations • made bv some American journa/ists reflecting upon the sincerity of the British desire to reduce naval expenses. It is very unfortunate that acrimony should he injected into the accounts given to the public by both sides, but it seems only too evident that the debates themselves are not conducted under conditions calculated to produce a good impression upon the minds oi l correspondents.”

The “ New York Times ” on the other hand expressed a spirit of eoneilitation. declaring that the liiainleiianee of Anglo-American friendship i> more important than questions of cruiser tonnage making it nil necessary to lmggi'e over the ratios of tonnage or other details of armaments.

Other journals content themselves with outlining the general situation without comment.

AMERICAN ATTITUDE. 'WASHINGTON. iJulv 28

Official circles continue pessimistic as to the outcome of the Geneva Conference. It is pointed out the original Amerian proposal in the interest of the agreement deliberately made vital concessions to the British need for a larger cruiser strength, and further concessions have been made by tho American delegation, hut without avail. It is declared that while the United States would he satisfied with a cruiser total of 150 thousand tons, it refrained from proposing such a limit .which would force Britain to cut the present strength. Instead the United States proposed three hundred thousand tonnage accepting the present British strength as a treaty limit necessitating trebling the American cruiser tonnage to reach parity with Britain. When Britain was not satisfied with that concession, United States informally raised the total to four hundred thousand tens, which would force America to spend over half iv billion dollars in quadrupling tho cruiser strength to attain equality with Britain. High officials declared if that figure is not acceptable to Britain, the Conference must fail, as United States could not go further.-' They claimed the British desire to limit ten thousand ton eight-inch gun eruisesrs needed by United States, leaving practically unlimited the small cruisers which Britain would build, in addition to her ten thousand ton ships, would aeutallv perpetuate British sea supremacy. Mr Kellog ridiculed the British argument that ten thousand ton ships relatively were more expensive than smaller cruisers. He also took issue with the British contention that large cruisers were for an offensive and smaller ones were only suitable for defence and police work, instancing tho small German cruiser Em den, which was most effective as a sea raider in the war. America would make no more compromises.