SEEKING SOLUTION OF NAVAL ISSUES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 83, 29 June 1927, Page 11

SEEKING SOLUTION OF NAVAL ISSUES

GENEVA DISCUSSIONS “THERE IS NO DEADLOCK” By Cable. —Press Association. —Copyright GENEVA, Tuesday. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. W. C. Bridgeman, head of the British delegation to the naval arms limitation conference, also Admiral Saito (Japan) and Mr. Hugh Gibson (America) at different times yesterday used the remark: “There is no deadlock.” To-night’s gossip suggests that Admiral Saito has been newly instructed to support Britain’s plea for the extension of limitations to capital ships as a definite means of lessening taxation. Earl Jellicoe and Admirals Field and Egerton attended a meeting this afternoon, as a result of which a full agreement was reached on the question of excluding from the terms of a disarmament limitations treaty all craft under 600 tons, on condition they carry no more than four 6in guns and have no higher speed than 20 knots. SORTING OUT THE TANGLE At the opening or the conference Japan made it known in Press circles that Admiral Saito and Viscount Ishii were armed with very full powers, but to-day Admiral Saito said the British proposals unexpectedly embraced important propositions relating to capital ships. He added: “We do not complain. We are ready to consider any suggestion for a reduction of naval commitments, whenever and by whomsoever they are made, but this new Question will necessitate us obtaining instructions from Tokio. “The main question for the present conference, namely, the apportionment of the whole range of auxiliary ships, scouts, protectors and destroyers of commerce, railers, minelayers, transports, munitions supply ships and every kind of submarine, is a work of almost superhuman subtlety. But the human mind, inspired by love and goodwill, can sort out the tangle.” NO SEPARATE TREATY WANTED

On being closely questioned, Viscount Ishii said the matter of the ratio of the three Powers’ cruisers had not yet been discussed. “We do not think the ratio which has been applied to capital ships ought necessarily to be extended to other vessels,” he said. “Japan intends to ask that her strength in cruisers shall be based on her own requirements.” Viscount Ishii added that Japan had no intention of proposing any separate security treaty, or naval bases in the Pacific. “It is outside our instructions, and we have no proposition to make on that point,” he said. It is understood that these clear declarations of Japanese views must be most unwelcome to the United States, as American writers have made no secret of their desire to enlist Japan's aid in opposing Britain’s capital ships proposal.—A. and N.Z.