NAVAL STRENGTH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 398, 6 December 1932, Page 5

NAVAL STRENGTH

(Press. Assn.-

ANOTHER RACE RUMOURED ABANDONMENT OF DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE ITALY' S ' AMBITIONS

-By Telegraph — Copyrlght).

Rec. Dec. 5, 11.40 p.m. London, Dec. 5. The Daily Herald says that an attempt to close down the Disarmament Conference and end the business with a permanent commission is gathering strength at Geneva. Such an act is confession of failure. The present achievements of the Disarmament Conference are little more than amplification and expansion of the old Hague convention, and do nothing to make war less probable or remove armaments. To tlirow up the sponge now would be a piece of intolerable poltroonery. The Daily Telegraph's naval correspondent says that ship building rivalry between France and Italy is becoming an acute new race confronting the Disarmament Conference. Italy (previously warned France that if the Dunkerque were laid down she would be compelled to build a similar vessel. The competition .has been carried a stage further by Signor MussolinFs order to construct two cruisers of the Condotti class, raising the total to 12, the last four being 7000 tons. Within seven years, Italy has constructed 19 cruisers, only three fewer than the British Empire. During eight years, Itoly and France have built 38 cruisers, 96 destroyers, 135 submarines, a total far exceeding the output of the British Empire and the United States. Not being a party to the London Treaty, France and Italy are free to build as much light tonnage as they please.