NAVAL TREATY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1922, Page 5

NAVAL TREATY.

ADJUSTING THE DETAILS. FORTS IN THE PACIFIC. DURATION OF, AGREEMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Jan. 11, 8.5 p.m. Washington, Jan. 10. The heads of the delegations spent much of the day thrashing out details of the naval treaty as they appealed to their own delegations. The discussions have not finished, and will be resumed to-morrow.

There is some talk now that the fortification matter may be the subject of a separate agreement between the three or four Powers concerned. It might be better, also, to follow the same plan regarding submarines and the question of gas, thereby not endangering the treaty should any nation transgress in these 1 espects. Mr. A. J. Balfour’s comment after today’s meeting of the heads of the delegations was that things looked rosy, but undoubtedly there is a great mass of detail remaining to be sorted out, which it may be necessary to refer to the Governments concerned.

Inquiries indicate that provision for dealing with the treaty at the end of the term may take a common form of enacting that it will be continued until one Power gives notice of withdrawal, and thereupon it will be left for the remaining Powers to decide whether it is worth while preserving the treaty.

A considerable time was spent to-day by the heads of the delegations in discussing the fortifications question. The present suggestion is that the Pacific should be divided into zones, presumably to meet the Australian and New Zealand situation. This at present has not been approved by Admiral Kato, who asked time to cable to Tokio. The matter is still undeciaeo. Another point requiring elucidation concerns what islands shall be included in the term Japan proper, which is automatically excluded from the provisions of the treaty.—Special to Australian Press Assn.

THE WARSHIP RATIO. SAFEGUARDING PROVISIONS. DURATION OF THE TREATY. Received Jan. 11. 5.5 p.m. Washington, Jan. 10. The Naval Treaty contains provision for the contracting Powers not to use for war purposes any vessels building in their country for other nations, and pledge themselves not to dispose of vessels on their scrapping list to other nations which might become the warships of such Powers. In the scrapping rules, however, allowance is mad*' that nations may transform two vessels into aircraft carriers, even if over the agreed 27,000 tons.

Italy is said to have reserved the right, when the time of replacement comes, to build two vessels, one of 45.000 tons and one of 25,000 tons, instead of two of 35,000 tons.

It is not clear yet whether the treaty automatically lapses at the end of fifteen years, or is subject to denunciation as in the case of the Anglo-Japan-ese Alliance.

PACIFIC FORTIFICATIONS. DOMINIONS AFFECTED. Washington, Jan. 10. The question of fortifications in the Pacific will be one of the main matters of the controversy which the British delegation will bring up during the discussion of the Naval Treaty. When the status quo was first considered it was regarded as affecting the United States and Japan only, in connection with the Philippines, "Guam, etc. As a matter of fact at one period of the discussion the equator was specified as the dividing line, nothing south of it being regarded as important, but subsequently the whole area of the Pacific was included, which obviously affects Australia and New Zealand and their requirements in the matter of fortification;* also Papua. Rarotonga, etc. This phase will be discussed this afternoon by the chief delegates prior to the full meeting to-morrow. Other points for diseussion were, submarine control (as contained in the Root resolutions), poison gas, arming of merchantmen, and other phase--, which, however, are not expected to present serious complications. —Special to Australian Press Assn.