NAVAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1930, Page 5

NAVAL CONFERENCE

FULL WORK RESUMES

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received this day at 10 a.m.) RUGBY, March 6

The full work of the Naval Conference will be resumed to-morrow morning when the heads of all delegations will again meet while the hirst Committee in the afternoon will receive the report of the Export Committee on special vessels.

American newspapers to-day pub!ism ed a report from Mr Stimson refer;' ng to the suggestion that the, Conference may lead to an increase rather than a reduction of the world’s navies. tie Bays the plan, which in its essentials appears acceptable to both American and British delegations, provides for a net reduction of the American fleet being built or building far over 200,000 tons and larger reduction on part of the British fleet. These reductions he adds are oi course contingent on some reduction being made in the fleets of other powers.

Mr A. Henderson had a conversation to-night with M. Briand immediately on the latter’s return to. London. He is head of the trench delegation in .the. absence of M. Tardieu, who is postponing his arrival in London in order to visit the flooded area>s in the Southern France. \

NAVAL .ESTIMATES.

CONSIDERABLE REDUCTIONS

RUGBY, March 6

To-morrow the full work of the Conference will be resumed with a meeting in the morning of delegation chiefs. ■ Naval, estimates published to-day show a considerable reduction. In a statement accompanying tbe estimates ■ Mr A. V. Alexander (First Lord of the Admiralty) says the substantial decrease in the total estimates is due mainly to the reduction which the Government have felt justified in making in the shipbuilding programmes of 1928 and 1929. As to further shipbuilding tbe Government decided not to formulate any proposals until the results of tbe Naval Conference are known and fully considered. No provision is included therefore in the estimates for commencing any further new .construction in 1930. . As soon as the Government are in a position to inform Parliament of their intentions, a statement will be made On the subject and if necessary a supplementary estimate will be presented. Mr Alexander points out reductions have only been rendered possible by operating on every branch of the service. with the object of curtailing expenditure of causes operating in a contrary sense. He mentions the Singapore Base as the main engineering contract although no new commitments are being entered into pending the result of the Naval Conference. It has been'found that it 'would not be economical to retard the work contracted for and in accordance with the terms of the contract. Considerably larger payments will have to be made in 1930 than in the current year. NAVAL ESTIMATES. (Received this dav at 11 a.m., LONDON. March 6. The Naval Estimates total £51,739.000 showing a reduction of £4,126.000 on last years First Lord’s memorandum. This was due to a reduction Government feels justified in making, of two ten thousand tonners, two submarines, one depot ship cancelled from 1928 programme, twelve vessels cancelled from 1929 programnie, comprising two ten thousand tonners, four destroyers, three submarines, twc sloops, one net layer. An additional decision, whether three remaining submarines of the 1929 programmes will be built was deferred pending the results of the Naval Conference. Moreover, the Government are not formulating proposals for future shipbuilding until after the naval proposals are forwarded, reducing the personnel to 97,050 officers and men on 1/6/30, and ■■'it -is expected a further reduction to 94,000 on 1/4/81.;