NAVAL NEGOTIATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 August 1929, Page 5

NAVAL NEGOTIATIONS

(United Preen Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). LONDON, August 2. With Mr MacDonald’s departure for Lossiemouth and General Dawes’ pending Irish tour, a brief lull is expected in the Anglo-American naval negotiations. Mr Baldwin, speaking at Malvern, said there could be no complaint at the Government holding up of a fresh naval programme if there was a real . chance of agreement with the other Powers, but he thought it unnecessary and rash to interfere with the existing programme. There was a tendency on the party of th 6 new Party to try to jump' too quickly, but more haste and less speed was, truer in international, politics than in any other walk of life. ' BORAH BLAMES BRITAIN. WASHINGTON, August I. Senator Borah issued a statement to-day, after having presumably discussed the naval questions with President Hoover yesterday in part, he said": “Parity coupled with reduction means much. It means a great deal, but parity.,coupled merely with limitations means very little, if I .understand reports of our Navy Department correctly*/ Britain now has 69 modern cruisers, and eight more are being built, constituting, in tonnage 376,300 tons, whereas we now have 18 modern cruisers built or building. If Britain will follow our example at. the Washington Conference and -ink some of her ships and thus come to parity, it will not only save the taxpayers, (but reduce incentive to war; but'if we have to build up to parity.it vastly increases the burden of taxpayers, and augments incentive to war. What we really desire is a reduction of armaments'. That is the primary thing for which we are contending. If parity were used to justify the building of huge armaments, it would become ia menace instead of security. I notice from London dispatches that Britain will not reduce her (misers. That is .very discouraging news.”

NO, COMMENT. (Received, this day at 9.25 a.m.) % WASHINGTON, August 2. The State Department officials decline to comment on the naval agreement. It is strongly indicated , that considerable ground must be covered before anything definite of a conclusive agreement is forthcoming. A DENIAL. ti • (Received this dav at 9. a.m.; WASHINGTON, August 2. ' The four points on which the London report, state Mr MacDonald and General Dawes have reached an agreement in naval discussions are said in authoritative sources here to have no relation to the facts. , AN AGREEMENT REPORTED. • (Received this day at 11 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 2. The “Evening Standard” asserts that Mr MacDonald and General Dawes have reached a formula restricting the building of battleships, decreasing their size and prolonging the life of those now in commission. They declare their willingness to stop building submarines. This, the paper states, will form the basis ot communications to Prance, Italy and Japan.