NAVAL STRENGTH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 542, 27 May 1933, Page 5

NAVAL STRENGTH

(British Official Wireless)

DIVERGENT VIEWS UPON DISARMAMENT PROBLEMS WHAT BRITAIN IIAS DONE

Rugby, May 25. Divergent views were expresed at the General Commission of the League of Nations when naval disarmament was considered. M. Massigli (France) advocated aualitative disarmament, and reduction in the size of capital ships and cruisers to 25,000 and 8,000 tons respectively. The London Treaty should he said, be revised. There should be 1 a treaty for all. Admiral Sato (Japan) proposed that a new naval agreement should replace the Washington and London Naval treaties, and be included in a future disarmament convention. Captain R. A. Eden (England) pointed out that Britain had not built up to the tonnage allowed by •the London naval treaty. As the result of the Washington treaty, 1,250,000 tons of ships had been destroyed and the way prepared for the further restrictions made at London, where ithe capital ships were further reduced and gun calibre limited, and where five cruisers which Britain intended to build had been stopped. Britain had reduced her total tonnage by 100,000 and' asked other countries to act similarly. He considered the next naval conference, due in 1935, should eonsist not only of big naval powers, but all Powers interested in naval matters. He urged universal concurrence in the principles adopted by the five naval Powers, that the status quo should be maintained until next conference and that negotiations continue with a view to effecting further important reductions. Mr. Norman Davis (United States) expressed full approval of Captain Eden's remarks. He pointed out that the two naval treaties had called a halt in the naval armament race and he expressed the desire that the London Treaty's framework would be ' completed by the signature of France and Italy. Mr. Davis urged the delegates to accept the article in the British plan by which signatories to the Naval Treaties would remain bound by the reductions the.y imposed.