CONFERENCE NEARS END

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 951, 19 April 1930, Page 1

CONFERENCE NEARS END

Draft Treaty Nearly Ready

THREE POV/ERS VERSUS WORLD

Last Session on Tuesday?

British Official Wireless Received Noon. RUGBY, Friday. IT is anticipated that a draft treaty resulting from the Naval Conference will be completed within the next 48 hours. A summary will at once be telegraphed to the capitals of the Powers and it is hoped that replies will be received in time for the final drafting to be completed by Tuesday morning, in which case the last plenary session will be held then, as provisionally arranged.

This is entirely dependent on the time when the views of the Governments concerned are received in London anti postponement is not likely. Yesterday’s discussion between Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, Mr. Stimson and’ Mr. Wakatsuki concerned the so-called Safeguarding Clause, for insertion in i hat part of the treaty signed by the three Powers they represent. The pro- ; posed clause follows a broadly simi-1 lar clause in the Washington Treaty.J except that instead of the Conference ; being summoned, should any of the signatory Powers consider its own position jeopardised by the action of au outside Power, it is now' proposed that there; should be consultations

through diplomatic channels, and that after due notice, the Power affected by the accelerated building of an outside Power, should be entitled to increase its own programme. The clause was drafted and transmitted to Tokyo for examination by the Japanese Government. In the House of Commons today a member asked whether, in a discussion of this Safeguarding Clause, the strength of the French and Italian navies’ combination, was to be considered, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Philip Snowden, replied that the clause would not be aimed at any special fleet, or combination of fleets.