GENEVA FAILURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 118, 9 August 1927, Page 1

GENEVA FAILURE

THE NATIONS’ NAVIES U.S. VICE-PRESIDENT’S VIEWS NO COMPETITIVE BUILDING By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright NEW YORK, Sunday. A reference to the naval conference at Geneva was made today by the vice-president, Mr. C. G. Dawes, in his speech at the opening of the international Peace Bridge at Buffalo. Mr. Dawes said there should be no discouragement because of the slow progress of naval discussions or the adjournment of the conference without result. The Geneva meeting was but an incident in the steady march onward of the principles agreed to at the Washington Conference. It had demonstrated again the desire of the various peoples to eliminate competitive preparation for war. It was unthinkable that Britain and the United States would place upon their peoples the burden of competitive naval building because their experts had temporarily disagreed. If America required heavy cruisers, which were not needed by Britain, and if Britain required light cruisers, which were not needed by the United States, that was no excuse for the inauguration of competition in shipbuilding, which neither country needed. The recent conference would result in a stronger demand throughout the world for a continuation of the work of interpreting the principle of equality until a fair agreement had been reached.—A. and N.Z.