BRITISH OPINION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 259, 24 June 1932, Page 5

BRITISH OPINION

(Press Assn.-

ON NAVAL REDUCTIONS.

— By Telftsr'-RDh — OooyriprM.)

GENEVA, Thursday, Sir John Simon, the British Foreign Minister, thanked the Ameriean delegation for bringing forward the proposals, and promised prompt examination. Dealing with- the naval proposal, Sir John Simon said: "I entirely agree with the substantial proposals in the realm of naval disarmament required. lI doribt whether the proposals just indicated are in some respects adequate, and in other respeets appropriate, to varying circumstances of the different naval powers. The Washington and London Naval Conferences were magnificent examples of how to translate the aspirations as to disarmament into accurate and . actual facts, and their partieular merit is that they did take into account as far as possible, the varying needs of the different Powers. "As for adequacy I say boldly \ on behalf of the United Kingdom's delegation, that in some respeets we want mofe disarmament than here appears. I "The proposals that submarines be i reduced to an individual weight of f 1.200 tons appears to us to fall | short of what is needed. We want ! submarines to he entirely abolished. | If they cannot he abolished, then at least let their size he limited to 250 tons." On the subject of capital ships he asked: "Was it not possible, whatever new capital ship construetion took plaee, instead of building new vessels of 35,000 tons weight, and 16-incL guns, that they agree that a much lower limit, both in tonnage and gun calibre, be estahlished?"