NAVAL LIMITATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 76, 21 June 1927, Page 1

NAVAL LIMITATION

Britain, America, and Japan Tackle Problem of Smaller Craft OPENING OF GENEVA CONFERENCE THREE Powers, Great Britain, United States and Japan meet in conference at Geneva to-day. The conference is to discuss the limitation of lighting craft other than battleships, which are at present limited to the 5-5-3 ratio by the Washington Pact. Submarines will prove one of the thorny questions of the conference. There have been suggestions in America that undersea craft should be outlawed. Each Power has submitted separate proposals which will form the basis of the discussion.

By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright Reed. 11.5 a.m. LONDON, Monday. / s REAT importance is attached to VT the Geneva three-Power naval conference both here and in the Dominions and India, all of whom are represented by delegates. The conference is undoubtedly the most important of this kind since that which negotiated the Washington Treaty five years ago at Washington, when Britain, the United States, Japan, France and Italy signed a treaty fixing the tonnage of capital ships and aircraft-carriers that might be laid down, and limiting the displacement of cruiserß. The ratio then fixed for capital ships and aircraftcarriers meant that to each five tons of British battleships or aircraft-car-riers, the United States was to have five, Japan three and France and Italy 1.75. Newspaper comment here upon the conference shows a desire that a further stage of naval limitation should be achieved. Mr. Hugh Gibson, the United States representative, has been appointed president of the conference. Each Power submitted proposals for the basis of discussion. THE AMERICAN PROPOSAL IS AS FOLLOWS: Cruisers: United States and British Empire, each 250,000 to 300,000 tons Japan, 150,000 to 180,000 tons. Destroyers: United States and British Empire, 200,000 to 250,000 tons: Japan, 120,000 to 150,000 tons. Submarines: United States and British Empire, 60,000 to 90,000 tons: Japan, 36,000 to 54,000 tons. The United States is willing to agree that all naval Powers abolish submarines.

THE JAPANESE PROPOSAL IS: Firstly, no new building programme to be adopted or new ships acquired for the purpose of increasing naval strength; secondly, tht naval strength of each Power shall- he determined for surface auxiliary crafts and submarines respectively on the basis of existing effective ships and ships constructing, taking into consdieration the tonnages of shiA* authorised, but not yet laid and of ships attaining the age'limit during the execution of the authorised programmes; thirdly, construction or acquisition of ships in future to be limited to, replacements, due consideration being given to equalisation as far as possible of the amount of annual constructions for replacements; fourthly, small ships and ships of limited activity to be exempt from limitation. THE BRITISH PROPOSAL extends the life of existing capital ships to 26 years, reduces the tonnage of future battleships from 36,000 to something under 30,000, their guns from 16-in.ch to 13.5; limits aircraft carriers to 25,000 tons and armament to six-inch guns; accepts the existing ratio of 10,000 tons for cruisers carrying eight-inch guns, the number of which are required by each of the -tfhree countries to be subject to discussion; limits- the future ton•tiage of light cruisers to 7,600 tons, with six-inch guns after the number of 10,000-tonners has been decided; limts destroyer leaders to 1,750 tons and destroyers to 1,400 tons; the armament of destroyers to be five-inch guns; limits larger submarines to 1,600 tons and smaller to 600 tons, with five-inch guns.—A. and N.Z.