NAVAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1930, Page 5

NAVAL CONFERENCE

A HOPEFUL OUTLOOK

[United Press Association—By Electric

Telegraph.—Copyright. J

(Received this day at 9.40 a.m.)

LONDON, Jan. 22. Visits between heads of delegations throughout the day were followed by overnight'conversations whereupon an interesting announcelhent was made that the French delegation were delighted to find the difference, of viewpoints was not so great as might be imagined. ' Tfie‘ Continental press variously values, the opening speeches, but the consensus is there is a hopeful outlook.

The “Petit Parisien” says:—“The King well knew what he was doing. He knew by this sacrifice of naval supremacy he was saving the Empire. It was a great moment and produced a great man.”

MR MACDONALD

SENDS A BROADCAST

(Received this day at 10 a.m.' > !•• • RUGBY, Jan. 22

i ' Mr MacDonald, in a broadcast message to United States said: “Before '•/the Conference started, delegations had becn'discussing their differences and /.were ih&rd-at that now: If it were a matter of two or three delegations, the ?v pijfferences might be adjusted in open /conference, but when there are five . many exchanges of views are required and delicate handling has to be adopt* ed*. The preliminaries for agreement : ■ mult therefore be conducted to a great extent between separate delegations and can be openly debated only after there is a thorough preliminary understanding amongst'the countries affected. Although I feel sure an agreement, will be come to, I should like to warn all iny hearers that there are many . difficulties in the way. The question is how far can 'we all go to- ■ gether. Some of us are willing to go further than others in certain directions,' but' not so far in others. Some of us make proposals for : a reduction ;which do not suit others, and they in i..turn. 1 /.make proposals • which are similarly rejected/'. It is not ill-will, it is . .the.-problem of adjustment. We shall . strive to'bring to the lowest common level all the programmes of the various countries so that two things will happen. Firstly, there, will be no more , < competition between us in building • ships, and secondly, the programmes will be reduced to the very lowept possible lead, and then -within a few years, say five or six, we shall be in a position to make still further reduction. , u “Thus • we"shall reach- disarmament and secured peace.” • The Prime Minister said he would ; specifically deny a statement which had ' been very widely scattered, that Bri- .•’;' tain* while talking of disarmament ■was showing no example. 1 . lf‘ln the case of British. Army establishments there had been large reductiops since pre-war days- There had been a limitation of personnel, material and. military expenditure generally. Our personnel to-day shows a ’ reduction of .50,000 compared with ’ . 3.914 and 152,000 compared with 1921, /after the actual war forces had been disbanded. ' “We were, the only nation among the leading Powers who can show a continuous reduction in expenditure on its army. I am making no criticism of what other nations have done. I mm only concerned to assure you that we have in this country already assumed some of the risks of peace by an actual reduction of fighting power. “The "position in the "British Empire in December 1929 compared with August 1914, presents remarkable contrast whicli deserves to be pondered by those whose' speak lightly of British contribution to naval disarmament. Here are the .facts: ' Capital ships, Aug. 1914, 69; Dec. ! 1929, 20. , ' ' '' . *•’••’’ with guns fof Bin. and aboye: Aug. 1914, 27; Dec. 1929, 11. ‘“Cruisers under Bin. guns: Aug. ' 1914, 50; Dec. 1929, 43. , “Submarines: Aug. 1914, 74; Dec.

1929, 53. ... . . “As regards the Air Force, hefore •the war the air services of the world - were just struggling into existence,, arid no comparison therefore can be jnride ‘between their strength to-day find in 1914. In the course of the war, however, Great Britain built un a large /• powerful force, which by the time of W the Armistice, comprised no less than line machines with a personnel of # 800.000 strong behind them. We were, iri ; fact, the strongest air force in the world/ After the war this powerful weapon was virtually scrapped, and to-day the first line strength of the Royal Air Force on comparative lines, Is no more than 772 machines, with a ' 'personnel of 31,000, and the air fleets of great Powers far outnumber us. “Could there be more striking evidence of the will to peace in the British ■'‘people.”' r . The Prime Minister added: “How y much farther can we travel along this ' road of reduction depends on the decision of those in conference with us. Those who’ are willing to limit and reduce will tread the path of disnrmn- • ‘merit along with us. We cannot go much further ahead alone. Indeed, if •we cannot get an agreement, we may ' ibe forced to expand. What constitutes ■ -the tremendous gravity of our deliberations is that the alternative to limitn_/tion is competitive building, and the n ©nd of competitive building is war.” ; ; TO-DAY’S ACTIVITIES - ' LONDON, January 22. behind all to-day’s activities in Lon-

don lies one desire to explain points of view hitherto not clear thus British and French led off the forenoon with talk based on recent notes on which explanations were exchanged. I here was quick reaction in Paris to the effect of conversations which were marked by absolute confidence. Directly the Frenchmen left Mr Stimson was closeted with Mr MacDonald and then Mr Stimson visited Mr Wakatsuki then French and Japanese delegates conferred late in the afternoon. Signor Grandi sought Mr MacDonald at the House of Commons and finally Mr Wakatsuki engaged in an informal discussion at Downing street. The upshot of all this was the significant announcement that British, French and Italians would meet to-mor-row afternoon. This is interpreted as a general desire as early as possible to explore the quarter where difficulties are most likely to arise. A formal foreign office announcement said “British and French delegates reviewed the points raised by recent notes and are again meeting on Friday to elucidate certain points. When this has been achieved Americans, Japanese and Italians will be .called in consul fcnti in.” • The Americans proclaim they are finite satisfied with the progress to elite.