QUIET DAYS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 948, 15 April 1930, Page 9

QUIET DAYS

NAVY HEADS AT WORK DRAFTING TREATY SIGNING AFTER EASTER United V.A..—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 12.20 p.m. LONDON, Mon. At the Naval Conference, in less than half an hour, and without dissent, except the reaffirmation of Italy’s general reservation made at the opening of the conference, this morning's plenary session adopted for the guidance of the drafting experts nine separate reports and the addenda covering the Conference’s work. Proceedings were singularly uninformative, Air. MacDonald just giving sufficient idea of each report to enable the delegates to identify the subject. ITe admitted there were so many reservations which would be found recorded in their proper places that the best thing to do was merely to adopt the reports, which will be published tomorrow. The Conference unanimously agreed to this proceeding. As was generally expected, the drafting experts found it impossible to complete the treaty before Easter. They will have to work hard to have it ready for signing by April 22. Mr. T. M. Wilford, New Zealand High Commissioner in London, asked to comment on the Naval Conference conclusions, said he had nothing to say at the present, but that Singapore had never been discussed and was never used as a bargaining factor during the whole Conference. COMPETITION STOPPED

Good progress has been made during the week-end by the Drafting Committee of the Naval Conference. Mr. H. L. Stimson (U.S.A.), yesterday, in a broadcast from London to American listeners, made a statement on the work of the conference. He said the principal objective had been to extend the principle of limitation by agreement, so that it should cover all elements of the fleet and thus complete what had been left undone at Washington and Geneva. So far as the fleets of Britain, Japan and the United States were concerned, that purpose had been achieved by stopping competition and establishing the mutual confidence which came with the agreement. The conference could speed up a great movement for world peace. In 1927 the lowest tonnage decree which Great Britain would discuss for cruisers, destroyers and submarines taken together Was 590,000 tons. In addition to this she insisted upon retaining until 1936 25 per cent, of her average tonnage. As against this her tonnage in these types of ships under the present agreement would be 541,700 tons, a reduction of 48,300 tons. Japan had agreed to a reduction of 70,950. In addition to this reduction Great Britain had agreed to scrap immediately 133,900 tons of her battleship fleet. BIG REDUCTIONS The Americans were to scrap immediately 69,900 tons of their battleship fleet and Japan 26,330 tons. “If you add the total difference for the three fleets of these three nations between the Geneva proposal and our present agreement,” Mr. Stimson said, “there is an aggregate reduction of 345,000 tons.”

The experts will sit twice daily, including the Easter holidays. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, stated in Parliament that he hoped the first -draft would be received today. It is stated the head ot the American delegation, Mr. H. L. Stimson, has asked the shipping lines to defer for 48 hours the departure of the liner Leviathan, by which his delegation was due to leave tomorrow. Questioned in the Commons as to whether negotiations for an interpretation of article 16 of the Covenant of the League were still proceeding and whether he could make a statement, the Prime Minister said “yes.” Parliament adjourns on Thursday for Easter, and the Budget debate will be continued after its re-assembly.