BRITAIN’S VOICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1921, Page 5

BRITAIN’S VOICE.

VIEWS ON DISARMING. DISTINCTLY FAVORABLE. PARLIAMENT TO DECIDE. LLOYD GEORGE’S DELAY, By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Nov. 15, 7.35 p.m. London, Nov. 15. Owing to Irish exigencies doubts have again been created regarding the possibility of Mr. Lloyd George going to Washington, and in the meantime Mr. Balfour telegraphs a daily summary of the proceedings. The Australian Press Association understands that though these, with foreign comment, are very voluminous, all are completely digested as submitted. Numerous and V’arying opinions have been expressed-here and on. the Continent, which are wide of the mark so far as motives and details are concerned, and. these will not affect the British decision. All the details will be weighed by the Committee of Imperial Defence, which will report to Cabinet and the entire question will then be laid before both Houses of Parliament, which will finally decide the British reply. The problems confronting the United States and Japan are not comparable to those of Britain, which are stupendous. The official attitude towards the proposals of Mr. C. E. Hughes are distinctly favorable. Naturally, amendments are suggested, but it is considered there is no reason why the proposals should not form a broad basis of settlement. No hasty conclusion must be reached, and the plans require a lot of thrashing out. It is important that it should be realised that British naval men always viewed capital ships as the basis of reduction. The Daily News recalls Sir Donald Mac Lean’s warning that embarrassment would arise through awarding the superHood contracts on the eve of the conference. It is evident in responsible quarters that opposition to the naval scrapping proposals is anticipated from opponents, who, having influential friends, will surrender only to public opinion strong enough to insist on the abandonment of the Hoods enterprise. India, the Far East, Australasia. Canada and the West Indies are all seriously involved in all naval questions and it is not unlikely that considerable correspondence will necessarily be exchanged between the Mother Country and the overseas Empire units before the Imperial Goverment attempts to formulate a case for Parliament. Public opinion is undoubtedly in favor of an end of the armaments burden, which, in view of the existing economic burdens, is intolerable and hateful. A women’s election committee has been organised to secure the return of women members of the House of Commons. The committee has initiated a million shilling fighting fund and suitable women of all political parties will be assisted.

PROPOSALS FAVORED. POINTS FOR DISCUSSION. BRITAIN ACCEPTS PRINCIPLES. Washington, Nov. 14. While accepting Mr. Hughes’ proposals in principle, Mr. Balfour is expected to-morrow to call attention to several points requiring further discussion and investigation, notably the case of submarines, of which Mr. Hughes’ proposals allow 90,000 tons, whereas at the end of the war Britain possessed much less than this. Mr. Balfour will suggest the consideration of a lower figure. Secondly, the question of a naval holiday and the ultimate replacement policy requires adjustment, otherwise it will be found that shipbuilders and shipbuilding at the end of the ten years’ period will be in such a state as to be unworkable.

All the indications, however, point to Britain’s most cordial acceptance of the American scheme. The details are being worked out by committees in the *closest co-operation. It is expected Mr. Balfoup will make a statement defining the British attitude at to-morrow’s plenary meeting. There is some discussion at present as to whether the disarmament question will be settled altogether independently of Far Eastern matters. Japan has already expressed willingness to do so, but it is unlikely this will be entirely accepted. It is more probable that the agenda will provide for the discussion of Far Eastern problems through a committee at the same times as the disarmament proposals. It is expected the conference will endeavor to reach accord on Far Eastern problems before signing any agreement concerning armament. The Senators of both parties say that a treaty pledging the nations to carry out Mr. Hughes’ proposals will be almost unanimously ratified by the Senate. There will* be no direct dissentients, though some might qualify the endorsement. Already sufficient votes have been counted to secure more than the two-thirds majority required. BRITISH CABINET DELIGHTED. London, Nov. 14. Official circles in London welcome the principle of the American naval proposals, concerning which individual members of the Cabinet* expressed delight. It is not likely that the Cabinet will discuss the scheme until the experts’ opinions are received. Mr Hichens, chairman of Cammell, Laird and Coy., points out that armour plate works are useless for other purposes. but he does not regard unemployment from the point of view of either capital or labor as a strong argument against disarmament. lie suggests that if only a naval holiday is proposed it would be dangerous to scrap plants which the owners should be enabled to maintain in readiness by means of subsidies. Mr. Clynes says Labor could not oppose disarmament because it entailed temporary unemployment during the transition from useless to useful work. He was not opposed to the principle of the Government temporarily subsidising armament firms during |he transi-