CRUISER MINIMUM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 862, 4 January 1930, Page 7

CRUISER MINIMUM

BRITAIN WARNED AGAINST RECKLESS SACRIFICE POLITICAL ELEMENT LONDON, Friday. The “Daily Telegraph’s” naval contributor says the other countries realise that information should be imparted concerning the Five Powers’ Naval Conference, hut the British Admiralty preserves its traditional silence. Nevertheless, in fairness to the Board of the Admiralty, the truth of the position should be known. The correspondent states that in 1923-24 the board surveyed the situation most carefully, and came to the conclusion that 80 cruisers should be Britain’s minimum. Mr. Baldwin’s Cabinet struck out a further eight, leaving 72 cruisers, which Admiral of the Fleet Earl Beatty and others considered to be inadequate.

Since then it has been discovered that Britain requires only 50 cruisers. It is difficult to believe that the present Board of the Admiralty consented to a reduction to that number without pressure from the Cabinet. In an editorial article, the “Telegraph” says it fears the Government is about to enter the conference in a mood for reckless sacrifice, and that Parliament will be faced with an agreement which ought never to be made.