NAVAL PROBLEM

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1930, Page 5

NAVAL PROBLEM

A DELEGATE’S VIEWS. (United Press Association—By Electric I olograph—Copyright). RUGBY, Jan. 8. Hon. Alexander, aim will be one of the chief British delegates at the forthcoming' Naval Conference, speaking at Wales last night said that the Conference was fraught with great issues. There was no realm of human endeavour in which the spirit of cooperation was more needed than m the effort to secure a (better basis for peace by agreement and by a reduction of armaments. Hon. Alexander continued: ‘Wou will find that as soon as the Conference is launched, public opinion will be played unon from two extreme angles. You will get probably virile propaganda for a very drastic, if not complete disarmament, and you will get an equally virile propaganda to the effect that any move we make in the direction of a reduction is going to completely undermine the basis of our national and imperial security; Those who go into conference have not to be moved by either of the extreme forms of propaganda. What we have in dr» is to go into conference as men of goodwill with three things in view.

First and foremost there must always 'be in mind of statesmen of any country the task of obtaining seeurify for its petfple. Secondly, we must move for a maximum amount of security by cooperation of all Powers concerned to the general end. For that we must work.

Thirdly, if that !co-operation can be secured and a basis of agreement formed, and if we can fust- avoid the reopening of the 'race in armaments by reaching a point of agreement, then there is good ground for a substantial reduction all round and relief of the burden upon people of all Powers concerned, of maintaining armaments on the scale of the past.