NAVAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1930, Page 5

NAVAL CONFERENCE

NO CHANGE

[United Press Association—By Electric

Telegraph—Copyright.]

RUGBY, April 6

As was anticipated the London Naval Conference has undergone no change , during the week-end.' • Many of the delegates attended the Snglapd versus Scotland football match yesterday afternoon and at its conclusion the Prime Minister 1 motored to Chequers, where he spent a quiet day. To-day no important interviews having been arranged most of the other delegates spent a day out of London. Mr Briand, as already stated, left yesterday afternoon for Paris to consult his Government and he is not ex-

pected to return until Tuesday. Pend ing his return. it is unlikely any im portant change in the situation wil take place, a&,- v t,ha. political questions

which have been the subect of conver sations between France and 1 Britain <l. form/the ?chiefj''obstacle 1 ! to a fnrthei advance.

No fewer than nine questions are

down'for answer in the House of Com

mons to-morrow, bearing on the political aspect of the Conference and interpretation of Article .16 of the League Covenant. Thejr’ display 'fear that the formula interpreting Britain's obligations, under the existing pacts and covenants, mipht imply a guarantee to France. It .. has, however, been repeatedly stated, .by the Prime Minister that the Government, while willing to define and explain the extent of Britain’s undertakings, is not prepared to increase her comrhitments.

The “Observer,” which emphasises that if any practical or far reaching agreement on naval reduction is to bo achieved France was to be a party to it’sa.vs:' “If it be found'possible to gratify France by a restatement of the existing obligations, whether embodied in the Covenant hr in the Locarno letter to Germany, and thereby after all to induce ..France to agree to fhc serious business of the Naval disarmament, it (is clearly the duty of British diplomacy to explore such an avenue. That is-the deliberate view of the British Delegation

A DEFINITE AGREEMENT,

WITH THREE POWERS.

LONDON, April 7. Mr Hugh Gibson, American -'n.lassador to Belgium,and one of ithe American to , the Naval Conference, delivered a radio address to the United States this afternoon. T T e said that during the last week a definite agreement had. been reached bet* Venn United States, j’Glreat Britain and Japan. It meant froni the fleets of three 1 powers nine battle ships were to be scrapped without- replacement. \ n.der the terms•#£,.this agreemmt the Japanese battleship fleet would consist of nine battleships. The reduction of the combined battleship fleets, of three countries would, therefore, equal in number the.- third largest battleship fleet in the W&rldf ‘ Under the 1 terms of the Washington 'Treaty, United States, Great Britain, and Japan were committed to the laying down of 26 battleships between'liov" and 1936. Under the arrangements ~off l ast week not one battleship would'be laid down during the next six j'ears. The great achievement of this conference was that it had arrived at .a basis for limtiing all kinds of vessels "in the three largest fleets. Cruisers, destroyers and submarine tonnage under this limitation would be far ' below the lowest limit, which was discussed at Geneva in 1927. The results attained so far were beyond reasonable/expectations. There was good reason to hope that the Five Power agreement might be tsiened before the Conference concluded. If a full measure of agreement could not be had at this session, tbe Three Power agreement could, be made on a basis, which would welcome ns parties to it, the other two Powers when their difficulties had been solved.

LONDON, April 7

i Till M. Briand returns to-morrow jevening, the Conference is virtually at a standstill. Mr Stimson and Mr Mao Donald conversed this morning on the general position.

IF THE CONFERENCE BREAKS , >DOWN..

FRANCE’S PROPOSALS

PARIS, April 7

If the Naval ; Conference breaks down France intends to proceed immediately with her big navy plans by putting into, effect the 1930 programme providing for the construction of eighteen ,war vessels, totalling forty thousand tons. They include a ten thousand. j.ton cruiser, six high seas submarines of. 1500 tons each, six destroyers of 2500 tons each, and various min© layers and anti-submarine craft. Under the 1931 programme France may decide on the construction of fifty-five thousand tons, ineluding a super cruiser of fifteen thousand tousj,,