NAVAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1930, Page 6

NAVAL CONFERENCE

FRANCE’S ATTITUDE [United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.] ... ... LONDON, Jan. 27. Though the official British .circles defend the ' long-drawn agenda discussions as slow but sure, the Americans make no attempt to disguise their Impatience. There is no longer any doubt that Franco-Italian rivalry holds up progress. France was quite agreeable to parity with Italy at Washington in 1921. but France now says that this was with a democratic Italy, but not with Signor Mussolini’s Italy, marked by incessant militarist and anti-French propaganda. BRITAIN’S CRUISER REDUCTION. LONDON, Jan. 27. Regarding the Naval Conference, it is pointed out that the abandonment by Britain of the Surrey, and the Northumberland, both ten thousand ton cruisers, with eight inch.,guns, means a saving of £842,000 in the current financial year, plus about £2,000,000 of a saving in '930-31 GERMANY’S ATTITUDE. LONDON, Jan. 27. The “Manchester Guardian’s” Berlin correspondnt outlines the German government’s attitude to the naval conference, in which it had not anticipated an invitation. Herr Groener, Defence Minister, declared that Germany warmly sympathised with the attempt at naval disarmament. Germany has already disarmed in accordance with the Versailles Treaty, and she expected the other League members to similarly carry out the obligations of the Covenant. Germany regarded the abolition of the submarine as he logical consequence of the treaty. She welcomed the American efforts to secure the freedom of the seas.