Disarmament Prospects

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 9

Disarmament Prospects

Diplomats’ Visibility Clearer Way Open to Great Economy (British Official Wireless. ) I HE American authorities have expressed gratification that all misapprehensions as to the purpose of Great Britain’s proposals at the Naval Armament Limitation Conference have been removed as the result of British frankness. It is now believed at Geneva that the prospects of composing the differences are excellent, and that the way has oeen opened to securing a substantial measure of economy.

Reed. 10.35 a.m. RUGBY, Friday. the responsible representative of the United States Government had not accepted the widely-canvassed report that Britain challenges America’s right to parity in regard to any particular class of warship, the Secretary of Sfeate, Mr. Kellogg, has expressed publicly his gratification that misapprehensions have been precluded by the assurance at Geneva by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. W. C. Bridgeman, and Lord Cecil (members of the British delegation at the ‘Limitation Conference). It is generally agreed at Geneva that there are excellent prospects of a satisfactory solution of the differences regarding all classes of vessels, including capital ships. PROVISIONAL AGREEMENT Valuable progress was made by the technical committee yesterday, when a provisional agreement was reached as to the characteristics of destroyers and destroyer-leaders, for future construction. The characteristics of submarines and guns are being discussed this morning. A aorrespondent says that the work of the has led to a much fuller classification of warships for the purpose of limitation than was at first attempted. Any scheme of classification, as originally propounded, was considered impracticable. The British delegation, however, produced a system of tabulating all the normal types of war vessels that go to form the

naval forces of any country, and it is largely upon this scheme that the conference is working. SHAPING TOWARD SETTLEMENT The technicaT committee of the Geneva naval conference has made such material advance toward an agreement on questions relating to auxiliary craft that British circles now hope the subject of capital ships will be taken up before long. The British delegation's proposals regarding this class are the reduction of tonnage from a 35,000 to a 30,000 limit, the reduction of guns from 16in to 13.5 in., and .the lengthening of the life of battleships from 20 to 2j years. In support of these proposals it is urged that if the three Powers _ concerned agree thus to carry a stage further the limitations prescribed in the Washington treaty their action would provide striking proof of their sincerity in the cause of armament diminution, and would, moreover, lead to very substantial economy. GIVE-AND-TAKE POLICY It is, of course, intended that British proposals should be adjusted so as not to affect in any way the balance in regard to the capital ships ratio, which was agreed to at Washington. It is hoped that a clear understanding of this fact, coupled with the British delegation’s frank declaration that it has no desire to question the United States claim to parity with Great Britain on any class of vessel, will facilitate discussion of this subject. It is understood that the Japanese are in principle inclined to regard with favour thb British proposals as to capital ships.—A. and N.Z.