NAVAL AGREEMENTS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1929, Page 5

NAVAL AGREEMENTS

(Australian Press Association)

AN ADMIRAL’S' VIEWS

(Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, November 21

An entire mistake has been made in attempts to reach naval agreements, says Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond, in an article on the conferences hitherto ruled by expediency, not principles. Instead of trying to solve problems by mathematical calculations in regard to tonnages and gunpowers, the decisions should he based on fundamental principles of policy and strategy. The nations most liable to injury seawise are entitled to furnish themselves with means of security, higher than the powers whose, sea defence,is less, .vital, A true criterion of international naval strength is tne strength of the weaker naval powers. It is for the powers : least exposed seawise to injury, to fix ■ their needs, and then the powers most exposed to adjust their needs accordingly. This always happened in the past, except when a power like Germany desired to take something from somebody else. To-day the lesser Continental navnlipowers possess lhrge land forces, rendering them immune ifrom seawise attack. Also they possess land communications. If they increase the naval strength, the needs of greater navies will correspondingly he increased whereas an increase by a. greater power does not necessitate an increase by the smaller. Britain’s old two-power strength indicates how we measured our strength by the strength of others. It .is impossible to determine accurately the needs of, any one power. It')is possible to find a formulae. Each power must he left to determine its own needs but the smaller must decide . first. The smaller the navies which military powers require, the smaller will the needs be of naval powers.