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Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1929, Page 4

Tun euntempiated visit ol the British Prime .Minister to llio United .States lo discuss disaiinamcni mailers should ue cpocli-inak.ng. it was understood that .Mr Baldwin intended to pay such a visit should the political tales have neon Kinder. IluL another reigns in Ins stead, and such a mission will be very much to the mind of .ur Ramsay .MacDonald, wlio is Keen to make maiKeii progress indeed m the matter ut wor.d peace. The American Govonimeiit lias i.een rather on us toes m regard m naval c.lfairs tor some time, and despite the Dengue ol ..Nations and the Kellogg Fact, has been imagining all sorts of tilings about the other Rowels in general and Great Britain in particular. Spot hilly is the United Stales concerned aboiil the ‘'freedom of the. sens'’ ns appieil to the right o£ search in war time in too event of contraband cargoes being-cur-ried. The United States Senate managed to work itself up to such a state that it passed not so very long ago. tin* American Cruiser Bill, which provided for the construction of fifteen large cruisers and an aircraft currier at a cost of one hundred and fifty millions sler.ing. I la* jirogrnmine as adopted, provided that nvo cruisers were to be laid down in each of the next three years. That gesture was received in Britain wiili pcrlcct equanimity. There was no up-setting ol the Bntisli Naval plans. .Vs .Mr Bridgeman remarked at Lite time tin* (miser Bill was no concern of Britain—-wliat. America thought necessary was a mailer tor herself, and if Ameiica wished to achieve parity of naval forces with Britain, none could gainsay the desire. .Mr Baldwin, too, made it delinite that Britain had “no intention or building in competition with the' United States of America." As the Bill gave America the 'means to achieve marked .superiority over British naval strength within a very short time, it was clear Ir mi. .Mr Baldwin’s declaration that America's future superiority would remain unchallenged. Probably the pronouncement had a cooling ell’ect. for t.lic Bill is not being rushed into action yet, and Mr Hoover and Air .MacDonald arc to meet in dm* i ours**. Obviously the British Prime .Minist ,, r will be for a policy of pacili 'ati *ii. and the United States might well save its dollars. The advent of Air Dawes as the recently appointed American Ambassador will also la* le ipful. The President and

be have a very intimate knowledge ol K urn i jean a (Fairs, and know full we]) to vvliat cx ten I America stands in jeopardy from any Kumpean Povveii! America will he w**ll advised to meet 1 1,...,, ] ’ • -rs i**i t l "* most frimidlv forms, and id is evident it will be in that spirit Air MacDonald will ap-

proach the United States. It is safe to anticipate that a new page in liistnrv will be written as a result of the proposed epoch making visit.