Britain’s Sincerity

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 870, 14 January 1930, Page 9

Britain’s Sincerity

SACRIFICE IN CAUSE OF PEACE Ground Work for Naval Talks MINIMUM STRENGTH STATED British Official Wireless Keceived Noon. RUGBY, Monday. THIS First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. V. Alexander, in a speech last night, said the ground to be covered by next week’s naval conference had been prepared by previous consultations with the other Powers. An agreement as to the relative naval strength was vital if substantial progress with the general problem of world disarmament was to be made, but; the work of the coming conference could only be preparatory to the much wider work to be done through appropriate organisations of the League of Nations.

In connection with land and air effectives, any impartially minded person would, he declared, agree that Britain, having regard to her wide commitments and responsibilities, had already made great sacrifices in the cause of disarmament. She was still further proving her sincerity and good faith in being willing, in the present world circumstances, to come to an agreement upon a basis of parity with another Power in limiting her minimum requirements in cruisers, and in initiating discussions on economics in capital ships. The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Arthur Henderson, has invited the SecretaryGeneral of the League of Nations, Sir Eric Drummond, to depute the Director of the Armaments section of the League Secretariat, Mr. Eric Colban, to attend the London Naval Conference as an observer. The Japanese delegates to the Conference again visited Downing Street this afternoon and renewed their conversations with the Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald. TO LIMIT ALL ARMS NEXT STEP IF CONFERENCE SUCCEEDS AMERICA’S ATTITUDE NEW YORK, Monday. The Washington correspondent of the New York “Herald Tribune” says that in authoritative Government circles it is predicted that if a satisfactory naval limitation agreement is accomplished at the London Conference a World Disarmament Conference under the League of Nations will be called before 1936. The object will be to secure a general treaty to limit all classes of fighting machinery—on land, at sea and in the air. It is said that not only would the

United States take part in that conference, but undoubtedly she would consent to any treaty resulting from the forthcoming London Conference being used as a basis for a further naval agreement in a general disarmament treaty. It is believed that the Secretary of State, Mr. H. L. Stimson, will on Saturday assure M. Tardier, Premier of France, that this is America’s attitude. ITALY’S MODESTY NO PARITY WITH BRITAIN BUT EQUAL WITH ALL OTHERS Reed. 10.30 a.m. ROME, Monday. The “Foglio Dordini,” the official organ of the Fascist Party, in a leader on the London Naval Conference, declared that Italy not only maintains her rights to naval parity with France, but asserts them against the strongest powers. She refrains from assessing them against Britain only on account of her modest economic and financial possibilities. WOULD ABOLISH SUBMARINE NAVY HEAD’S OFFER British Official Wireless RUGBY, Monday. Speaking at a meeting of his constituents at Hillsborough, Mr. A. V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, said Britain was prepared to agree to the complete abolition of the submarine. If that were achieved it would enable substantial economies to be effected in destroyers. Even an effective limitation of submarine tonnage would economically affect destroyers.