Results Still Ahead

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 900, 18 February 1930, Page 9

Results Still Ahead

SLOW NAVAL DISCUSSIONS Passing of First Month IT ALY’S MEMORANDUM AWAITED ♦ British Official "Wireless United P.A. —By Telegraph—Copyright Received 11 a.m. RUGBY, Monday. ALTHOUGH by tomorrow the Naval Conference will have lasted a month, definite results still lie somewhere ahead and continued patience is required. The general impression in conference circles is that many of the divers problems before the conference are closely related, and it is not to be expected that achievement can he announced piecemeal. Considerable progress has been, made with preliminary work, and now that experts have produced a scheme which is a compromise between the category and global theories, the delegations are now engaged in the obviously intric.ate task of finding actual tonnage figures.

Meanwhile other aspects of the general problem are receiving attention. Today Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, Mr. H. L. Stimson and the Japanese members are to discuss the Japanese tonnage theories. The Italian delegation is expected to produce a statement early this week; then each of the five Powers at the conference will have submitted a memorandum on their policy. LONG HOURS WORKED. In a broadcast speech relayed to America from Loudon yesterday, Senator Reed, one of the American delegates, said: “The whole conference is moving as rapidly as is possible, working long hours every day and often far into the night.” It is expected that although M. Tardieu, who is suffering from a severe attack of influenza and laryngitis, will be unable to return to London until later in the week, the heads of the delegations with M. Briand representing France will resume tomorrow their discussions. EXPERTS’ NEW SCHEME The position now is that experts have evolved a scheme whereby the global and category methods of ascertaining and limiting naval tonnage figures are co-ordinated. Into this framework actual tonnage figures have to be inserted. Experts have resumed their study of special ships such as training vessels, seejJlane as distinct from aircraft terriers, and other minor varieties of tonnage, their problem being to decide whether future displacements of such tc mage should be included in categories or in the socalled “exempt” class. FUSILADE OF QUESTIONS The British spokesman found himself under a fusilade of questions as to what progress had been made 'with the reconciliation of the AngloAmerican tonnage agreement with the excessive Franco-Japanese figures. He admitted that the production of large tonnages seriously affected relativity of the British position. For example, Britain that reduced her cruiser claim from 70 to 50 when there appeared a different state of

affairs from the «time when the stipulated minimum was 70, but new and unforeseen circumstances had arisen, making the whole question of ratios a subject for very serious consideration. An American asked if it meant that Britain was going to raise the* scale. The spokesman replied negatively, then went on to say that nobody had modified their “absolute needs and rigid demands.” His use of the terms “embarrassment” and “perturbation” indicated that the conference had reached a very difficult state in which much hard work and logic was needed to persuade France and Japan to reduce their totals.

“SLIPPED DISMALLY” GLOOMY PRESS CRITICS FRENCH CLAIMS DISCUSSED LONDON, Monday. The “Daily Telegraphs” diplomatic correspondent says the British and American delegations to the Naval Conference take a grave view of the French claims. If these are not changed they will make a clean sweep of the tonnage ratios embodied in Mr. H. L. Stimson’s offer on behalf of the United States to Bi’itain. The British and American delegates on Friday tried vainly to obtain M. Tardieu’s assurance that the demands only constituted a bargaining maximum. The French Premier, however, Insisted that the memorandum represented France’s absolute needs. Reduction was not to be thought of except in return for new British and American guarantees of security. It looks at the moment as if the conference is doomed to failure. So far as substantial reduction is concerned it could only be reached by a sacrifice of British security. The “Daily News,” in a leading article under the caption, “Admirals or Statesmen,” expresses the opinion that the Naval Conference has “slipped dismally down to a dead end.” Not one constructive decision has been made, says the paper. It,asks:: “Is not there sufficient courage and statesmanship among any of the five Powers to call Germany into consultation and demand the abolition of large battleships and the limitation of the largest ships of the future to 10,000 tons with 8-inch guns? “An immense body of public opinion in every country would welcome simple and decisive action which would cut across all naval rivalries. If this is not done the conference will acquire a worse reputation that a haggling conference of shell-backed admirals.”

ATLANTIC SECURITY PROPOSAL FOR SPECIAL TREATY NEW YORK, Monday. Mr. T. J. Walsh, member of the Senate /or Montana, delivered an address which was broadcast today on the Naval Conference in London. The speaker sounded a note for which many of those interested in the success of (-he confei-ence have been waiting hopefully without receiving any encouragement from authoritative sources. Mr. Walsh advocated America’s participation in the so-called “security pact” affecting the Mediterranean, but with reservations which would safeguard her from becoming Involved in European politioal concerns. The proposal was for the conclusion of a treaty between the United States, Britain and France which would impose upon the signatories an obligation to consult each other if danger threatened in the Atlantic.