Another Leakage

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 478, 6 October 1928, Page 9

Another Leakage

THAT NAVAL COMPROMISE Paris Disclosures (United P.A. —By Telegraph--—Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Reed. 11.57 a.lll. LONDON, Friday. DOWNING STREET regards the “Echo de Paris” disclosures about the naval compromise as an inexplicable leakage. The disclosures appear to be a substantially accurate summary, but this does not affect the British view about the proper time to issue the documents, on which subject the Government is still negotiating.

An earlier message from Paris says the “Echo de Paris” published what it described as an accurate resume of the Notes on the naval agreement. It 'said Britain delivered the opening Note on June 28. recalling the French suggestion for limit only on surface ships armed with guns of more than six inches. If that were adopted battleships, aircraft carriers, the 10.000-ton cruisers and submarines would be limited. If France assented Britain would agree, and then would be in a position to withdraw her opposition to the French thesis of trained army reserves. The Foreign Minister, M. Briand, replied on July 20 that he would have preferred a compromise. France suggested a preparatory commission, but was willing to take the road of conciliation and requested Britain to consider the French proposal to fix a maximum tonnage for the 10,000-ton ships; and to divide submarines into those above and below 600 tons, the bulk tonnage of the former to be limited.

M. Briand offered to submit to the United States, Japan and Italy the agreed proposals. which he thought would be accepted. If not, it was essential that the Franco-British cooperation should be continued, with a view to ensuring agreement. Britain replied on July 28 that she would have preferred the original suggestion, and she also questioned the validity of the French distinction between offensive and defensive submarines, but for the sake of conciliation Britain would agree to the French plan. The “Echo de Paris” said in a final paragraph: “Britain’s Note setting out the naval limitation thus envisaged was detached from its context, and submitted to the three Powers. America then inquired if there were any other clauses, whereupon a summary of the foregoing Notes was sent to the three Governments in the last week of September.”