DELEGATES CONFIDENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 909, 28 February 1930, Page 9

DELEGATES CONFIDENT

HOPE FOR FIVE-POWER AGREEMENT NAVAL DISCUSSIONS United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 10 a.m. LONDON, Thursday. The British spokesman has again denied any decisions in respect to the own 6 We , r .. Pact ’ The delegations to the Naval Conference, he says, are still so confident of a Five-Powei agreement that they are still discussmg the various topics on that basis. Whatever is being done is tentative otherwise any matter is instantly communicated to France pending the delegation s return. A communique issued last night after the meeting of the heads of the delegations to the Naval Conference with the French Ambassador, stated that, pending the arrival of the French delegation, private conversations between delegations are continuing. These conversations will necessarily be restricted in their scope. They will however, give opportunity for the British, American and Japanese delegations to discuss their own particular problems such, for example, as the Japanese claim to an increased cruiser ratio. Efforts will be made also to reconcile the programme requirements already put forward by three Powers in order to expedite the filling in of a table of naval tonnage under the various categories. There will be discussions also between America and Great Britain on ,any points that may still remain outstanding in the interpretation of parity. In the House of Commons, the Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, said it was still the Qoyernment’s policy to seek an international agreement for the largest possible amount of scrapping of battleship tonnage, but it could not go a pound in weight beyond what the others were willing to do. QUEEN’S RECEPTION WIVES OF DELEGATES ENTERTAINED British Official Wireless Reed, noon RUGBY, Thursday. The wives of the delegates attending the London Naval Conference, were entertained by the Queen at Buckingham Palace, this afternoon. Her Majesty accompanied by Princess Mary, accorded the guests a very homely welcome in the suite of State apartments. Among the 50 guests present were, Miss Ishbel MacDonald, daughter of the Prime Minister, and Mrs. T. M. Wilford, wife of New Zealand’s High Commissioner.