NAVAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1930, Page 5

NAVAL CONFERENCE

AMERICA ASKS FOR MORE.

Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

(Received this day at II a.m.) LONDON, Fob. 10

A further complication of the battleship problem is repotted from Tokio. America wants permission to build a ship of the Rodney type, the possession of which will give her a higher preponderance of mg gun ships compared with Britain.

PROGRESS MADE

(British Official Wireless)

this day at 10 a.m.) RUGBY, February 10

’File Prime Minister at the invitation of Mr Baldwin made a short statement in the Commons this evening on the progress of the Naval Conference. He ’ said that when the Conference met some important preparatory work had still to be done. The delegations had exchanged views before it was desirable to publish the programme. The Conference had now reached a stage where the delegations were discussing the details of the requirements. The British Government had therefore prepared a memorandum indicating the policy which had actuated them in these negotiations. Up till now, this document which had since been discussed with the Dominion delegates at the Conference and generally approved by them, was not available as a White Paper. A summary of the memorandum had been issued to the press. As a result of the issue of a communication giving in some detail views advanced by the United States delegation, and he decided not to withhold the statement of the British view until to-day. He wished to make it quite clear that his memorandum, which indicated their policy had not been drawn up in agreement with any other delegation. The Prime Minister added, “at this stage of the proceedings it is difficult for me to give the House any details of the present state of the negotiations, but 1 can say with'confidence that progress is being made all along the Ime. The heads of delegations held a meeting at St. James’s palace this morning. A communique afterwards issued stated, “for the immediate future the order of business will be a plenary meeting to-morrow for the discussicyi of submarines, and completion of the questions now under consideration by the First Committee, and their report to the heads df delegations, and active continuation of the conversation between the delegations.” The Prime Minister will preside! over to-morrow’s plenary meeting and British view regarding the submarines question will be given by M. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty. Many conversations between the delegates took place during the course of to-day, and a meeting of the experts was held for the further consideration of the compromise prospects on the global and category methods of naval limitation. Their report will be presented to the next meeting of the First Committee on Wednesday. The American spokesman was not prepared to discuss any new United States proposals. This was in reply to the week-end rumours that the Washington Government wants Britain to scrap the Royal Sovereign before the older Iron Dukes; aiso that it wishes to build a battleship of the Rodney type. The latter, it is learned, is a definite proposal, and is likely to reopen the whole battleship question.

Various members of the delegation are meetine to-dav in consultation regarding to-morrow’s plenary session.