The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24. 1031.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24. 1031.

THE ITALIAN NAVY. The naval contributor of the Daily Telegraph has been drawing attention to the warshipt-building activities of Italy. He presents a picture of dockyards humming with life, and Government arsenals working at high pressure. It is a picture that is hardly conducive to the serenity of reflections upon the progress of international efforts to limit armaments ana promote peace on a permament basis. According to the figures cited Italy last year launched seven cruisers against one by France, and none by Great Britain; sixteen warships were completed during the year, and an order for twenty-two submarines nas just been placed. There is reference also to a declaration in the Italian Naval Budget report to the effect that Italy leads the world in naval technique and in the design of her worships. Following Signor Mussolini’s first broadcast speech in English at New Year, in which, obviously desirous of dissipating impressions concerning the militant outlook of Fascism. he declared that lie intended to lead a vigorous campaign for world peace, this commentary in a leading newspaper on Italian naval doings is equivalent to flic suggestion that deeds are more eloquent than words. Tt will scarcely l>e appreciated by life Duoo himself, and it will not be surprising should something in the nature of an indignant official riposte be forthcoming from Rome, Those who have

seen no cause for satisfaction in Great Britain’s participation in the ThreePower Naval. Pact will now be pointing to the speeding up of the growth of the Indian navy as an illustration ol the soundness of their reasoning. Italy has frequently been credited with aiming at supremacy in the Mediterranean, and it is no secret that she will not he less than naval parity with France. This was. indeed, tjhe .reason why these two Powers tailed to come to any agreement <it the London Conference. Great Britain is scarcely less interested in the Mediterranean than Italy and France, 'and the position Igonerall'v affords material for interesting speculation. On the very eve of the opening of the London Conference the Italian Government announced its adoption of a naval programme for 1930 of one ten-tiiousand-ton cruiser, two cruisers of half than tonnage, four destroyers, and twenty-two submarines. This programme, however, it subsequently declared its willingness to suspend, provided France also suspended her building programme. Both France and Italy have been holding hack the execution of their construction proposals for 1930, and it would seem to he the ease that the building activity on the part of Italy actually represents the making up of lost time in carrying her 1930 programme into effect. As cabled, the actual details concerning ships recently launched or built seem to lx? somewhat confused. The unfortunate aspect of the situation is that the more Italy increases the strength of her navy the more will France he stimulated to augment her fleet. The cause of disarmament will certainly not he assisted by such competition, ami at a time when the League of Nations has definitely in sight the fulfilment of its important objective of holding an international disarmament conference such evidence of rivalry between two leading European Powers is unfortunate.