NAVAL TREATY

Hokitika Guardian, 10 May 1930, Page 3

NAVAL TREATY

(British Official! Wireless)

LONDON, May 8.

Lord Carson (Conservative) speaking as one who was a First Lord of the Admiralty at a critical period o' '■kr war, said the mastery of the sea had always hitherto been regarded as essential to our existence, and to the

cifety of our country. He reminded 'the..House of the ©rave difficulties we had , during the war in feeding our people. Re wanted the assurance of the Government that in appvovinr

of this treaty they had behind them the: support of the naval experts at the Admiralty. Lord Reading (Liberal) said th essential, question was whether suffi-

cient care had been taken to protect this country against invasion. l if thought Lard Carson seemed to take no account whatever of all that had happened since 1914. We were committed to disarmament. We m"sf now envisage the case of ttie navy from the asoect of a natioh desirous of peace, of trying to prevent war between ‘other countries arid of doin'" our utmost to make certain that the treaties ■ : we‘ had entered into ; should be daily observed and perfotdned. He thought" 'the Government had every reason to congratulate themselves

upon the agreement . with America and Japan , and he built, the strongest hopes upon, a future •••agreement between France and Italy.!: .Lord Jellicoa thought that in view

of what was being done’ irt the navies of other countries, the reduction now

promised went beyond the limits of safety. The Naval Conferences since the war had resulted lri • redi'ictions in our Navy but in no other navies. Instead, they had actually increased

them. A very great del'l of destruction of our merchant vessels in the earlv days of the war was done by only two G>erman cruisers, the lEmden and Karlshrue. Ori'e hundred

ami fourteen British cruisers , were

unable to prevent two cruisers doing that damage. How could we expect I'iJ.V ’fir.ui.wrs 'to prevent damage to our tJ*aclcLf and food supplies and secure.; but ffeea cbinmunipatioils. ■

- Lord Par moor, replying for the Government, said we could nO longer depend', upon force alone to further

our safety. Replying to specific points raised during the debate, he said the?. Admiralty -we>re prepared . to agree 1 'to %fty cr'tiisers as the minimum reqpiisemeats; of the; EnjipirC, up ui the next Conference 'in i 936. A jus-

tea;, ion; for reduction from seventy to fifty, .was the change, in the gpnerul peace outlok in the world. The Raei oid made a great difference. The Government nua cbuseionsiy uku eunseiejiLiousiy ueteU upon toe novise of its experts arid were nutisnea trie security oi trie uwpire was amply saieguaidyu. As regarded our prewar construction he could not state deiiuLeiy tiie policy or tiie Govern-

merit, u-So rloitg as the present Governinent; were in power ~ triey would work ou , tiie prograipme so lhat replacbihent -.iriigrit rie substantially pid«yidedrfor, 7 ;within the, time coiiumn-. .in- the agreement. With rel.r ereuce "to a reductibit of the siac; pi capital ships, tiie Government had Leciii unable, to achieve) it. Was it suggested' s|iey ougi.it to have broaeu ulf negotiations because they could not obtain-;.consent to (that. He contended that by the treaty tile danger of submarines had been limited. Tie Government believed they had achieved two great results,.. the secuiity of the country and, a splendid friendliness between ourselves, A America and Japan, while us regarded

ranee and Italy,.,negotiations were hot closed.