NAVAL PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1921, Page 5

NAVAL PROBLEM.

ATTITUDE OF FRANCE. - A SURPRISE REQUEST. FLEET TO EQUAL OTHERS. (From the Special Representative of the Australian Press Assn.) Received Nov. 23, 12.5 a.m. Washington, Nov. 21. A surprise was sprung in Conference circles to-night, when from the French came the statement that France wanted the same size capital ship fleet as Japan, and as much tonnage as British or the United States, while France also desired the naval holiday not to apply to them after 1926, owing to special reasons governing their needs for replacement. The request will be placed before the committee on armament by M. Briand before his departure. If the intention is correctly reported it constitutes a complete volte face on the part of the French delegation, which until two days ago affirmed that the French fleet was negligible, and did not need the attention of the Conference. Deductions may be drawn that the request follows Mr. Balfour’s argument that before the. three great naval powers finally agree regarding the limita l tion of navies the smaller fleets should also be regulated. It is known that M. Briand had a conference with Mr. Hughes and Senator Lodge before the statement was made. It is impossible to avoid comparison of the 5-3 fleet of Britain and Japan with the proposed 5-3 fleet of the United States and France.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.