Hopeful

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 933, 28 March 1930, Page 9

Hopeful

POWERS SEEK NAVAL PACT Japan Faces Crisis FRANCE TALKING THINGS OVER OOPE.S of success are high among delegates to the I'iye•l* Power Naval Conference at London, and much will depend upon the attitude of Prance, as expressed through the foreign Minister, 31. Briand, who is back in London from Paris. Important conversations among delegates and experts are aiming at a five-power pact, which is the original purpose of the conference, but Japan is facing a political crisis on the naval issue.

British Official Wireless Reed. 11.15 a.m. RUGBY, Thursday. With this afternoon’s meeting of the heads of the delegations, the Naval Conference is generally regarded as having entered upon a new phase. The issues confronting the conference are now clearly defined, the work of the experts having cleared the ground. Certain technical difficulties in the Franco-Italian deadlock

remain the chief | obstacle to further 1 advancement, but j following the con- j dilatory speech of the French For-1 eign Minister, M. Briand, in the; French Senate last| week, hopes are 1 entertained that a j solution may be j

M. Briand T° uad and that a five-Power agreement. which is still the sole aim of the conference, may be achieved. M. Briand had a long conversation ■with the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Arthur Henderson, this morning, and lr Is understood the political aspects of the problem before the conference were touched upon. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay! MacDonald, who entertained the United States experts attached to the; conference and their wives at lunch- i eon at his official residence, had a! short conversation with Mr. R. Wakatsuki, chief Japanese delegate, just heft re the full meeting of the heads of delegations was held at St. James’s Palace this afternoon. Political issues were not raised at that meeting, which was very brief, but it is probable they will play an important part in conversations, which, as a communique indicates, are contemplated in the course of the next week. This communique says: “The discussion concerning the next plenary session has continued from the point where it had been left on the previous meeting. It was agreed that a plenary session should he held on Friday of next week, when the progress of conversations now being held

| between tlie members of the various delegations, and of the committee’s work, should be reported. The heads of the delegations will meet again on Monday, i The British spokesman affirms 1 ’ I nothing is known in authoritative circles about Britain being willing to enter a Mediterranean pact without | obligations. JAPAN EMBARRASSED INTERNAL STRIFE OVER NEW PROPOSALS I Reed. 9.5 a.m. TOKYO, Thursday. ; The Prime Minister, Osachi Hamaj guchi, is facing the most severe test i of statesmanship on the question of ! his instructions to London in reply to the American proposal, which is bitterly opposed to powerful naval interests and is capable of wrecking the Cabinet. Admiral Kato, head of the naval staff, threatens to resign unless the original demands are upheld, j Several days will pass before a l reply is possible; meanwhile the civil I authorities are apparently hopelessly I endeavouring to reconcile the naval i diehards. “A PIOUS FRAUD” OPINIONS FROM AMERICA Reed. 11.0 a.m. WASHINGTON, Thurs. Senator Borah, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday, referred to the consultative pact, suggested in London, as a pious fraud, which under the exigencies of the hour would be rejected. Mr. F. A. Britten, chairman of the House Naval Committee, described it as silly and ridiculous. “The conference is a flop,” he said. “The American delegates should recognise it and come home.”