GENEVA NO FAILURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 121, 12 August 1927, Page 13

GENEVA NO FAILURE

LIMITING NAVIES “STEP TOWARD AGREEMENT” WAR SECRETARY’S VIEW (British Official Wireless. — Copyright) Reed. 11.35 a.m. RUGBY, Thursday. The Secretary of State for War, Sir L. Worthington Evans, at a meeting last night, expressed the opinion that the Geneva Navai Conference, so far from being a complete failure, might yet prove to be the first step toward a final agreement. He said:—“Do not let us think, because we were unable to reach a satisfactory agreement with the United States for the limitation of cruisers, that we are less good friends with America, or that we are starting an armament race. We are doing nothing of the kind. Our programme has been public for several years, and so far as one can see, there is certainly no need to increase It, while there may, in fact, be a possibility of postponing some of the expense which may be incurred in carrying It out. “Do not let anyone think that because Geneva did not arrive at an agreement, no agreement is possible. I think it Is quite probable that as the points of view of the two nations are better understood later, there will be an opportunity for again considering them. The object of both nations, which Is limitation of expenditure on armaments, may be carried out, and, far from Geneva proving a failure, it may be the first step toward a final agreement.”—A. and N.Z.