THE SPIRIT OF PEACE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 106, 26 July 1927, Page 1

THE SPIRIT OF PEACE

BRITISH NAVAL POLICY ANSWER TO MISREPRESENTATION (British Official Wireless. J RUGBY, Monday. Several points of detail still to be settled in the negotiations on the cruiser problem at the Geneva Naval

Limitation Conference were this morning before the Cabinet. It is also understood that Cabinet is giving general consideraton to the necessity for meeting constant misrepresentation of the British case in foreign countries. It may be found necessary to draft a statement which would correct the impression that the idea of expansion which has crept into the conference has arisen out of the British proposals, which were in fact based entirely on a desire for achieving the greatest policy of economy, consistent with security. If these had been given effect to. they would have resulted in a saving of over £SO million. The First Lord of the Admiralty, the Rt. Hon. W. C. Bridgeman, and Viscount Cecil will return to Geneva tomorrow. Passing reference to the conference was made in a week-end speech by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Winston Churchill, at Honiton. He said: “We desire that the conference results should be permanent; but it is absolutely necessary that the present position of the British Empire and the present position of this island should be understood. For many generations we have held the sovereignty of the seas. We used it for the benefit of all nations, and due consideration must be shown by each of those great Powers to the special needs of others. In vital matters, the agreement is very desirable. Disagreement would be very regrettable. Nevertheless, any agreement that spends gigantic sums on naval construction for many years may be worse for all concerned than a moderate expenditure following freedom from any agreement. The objects which we set before ourselves are those of security and economy, and, above all, peace and the spirit of peace.”