TO PRESERVE PEACE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 February 1922, Page 5

TO PRESERVE PEACE.

LIMITATION OF NAVAL ARMAMENTS.

REDUCING COMPETITION. DRAFT OF THE TREATY, By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Cupyrlgtt. Received February 2, 5.5 p.m. Washington, Feb. 1. £he draft of a Treaty for the limitaaon of naval armaments was submitted •o the plenary session of the Conference, it contains the following preamble in ex>lanation of the purposes of the five contracting Governments:—

Desiring to contribute to the maintenance of general peace, and to reduce the burdens of competition in armament, it has been resolved, with the view of accomplishing these purposes, to conclude a Treaty to limit th® respective naval armaments, and to that end appoint as plenipotentiaries (Here the names of delegates follow).

The Treaty is divided into three chapiers. The first contains agreements in iwenty separate articles, while the sec>nd and third contain details of the spe■ific naval agreements, many being in a iomplicateo tabular form, amplifying die complete meaning of the general igreemente. Chapter One is headed: “General prorisions relating to the limitation of saval armament. ** Article Orfe thereinder is merely an agreement to limit aaval armament under the Treaty. Article Two provides respectively the capital ships the Powers may retain, as follows: The United States.—Maryland, California, Tennessee, Idaho, New Mexico, Mississippi, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Nevada, New York. Texas .Arkansas, Wyoming, Florida, Utah, North Dakota, Delaware; total tonnage, 500.650. Britain. —Royal Sovereign, Royal Oak, Revenge, Resolution, Ramillies, Malaya, Valiant, Barham, Queen Elizabeth, Warspite, Benbow, Emperor of India, Iron Duke, Marlborough, Hood, Renown, Repulse, tiger, Thunderer, George V., Ajax, Centurion; total tonnage, 580,450. France. —Bretagne, Lorraine, Provence, Paris, France, Jean Bart, Courbet, Diderot, Boltaire; tonnage 221,170. Italy.—Andre, Doria, Caio, Duilio, * Conte di Cavour, Guilio, Cesare, Leonardo da Vinci. Dante, Lighieri, Roma. Napoli, Vittorio Emmanuele 111., Regina, Elena. Tonnage, 182,800. Japan.—Mutsu, Nagato, Hyuga, Ise, Yamashiro, Fuso. Kirishima. Haruna, Hiyei, Kongo; tonnage, 301,320. Article Two provides that when the Treaty is effective all other capital ships or building” by the five Powers be scrapped. "Article Une provides, in addition to the specified capital ships: "The United States may complete and retain two ships of the West Virginia class now under construction,” and on their completion the North Dakota and Delaware, whilst Britain may, in accordance with the replacement table, “construct two new capital ships not exceeding thirtyfive thousand tons each, and when completed Britain is to scrap the Thunderer, George V., Ajax and Centurion. Article Three constitutes an agreement *by the Powers to abandon their respective capital ship-building programmes onri build or acquire no new capital ships, except under the replacement agreement. Article Four is the naval ratio agreement as stated in the standard displacement, the tonnages aggregating for capital ship replacement as follows: United States 525,000 tons; Britain the same; France and Italy each 175,000 tons; which aggregate tonnage the Powers agree not to exceed. Article Five fixes thirty-five thousand tons as the maximum for any capital

Six provides that no ship shall » gun exceeding sixteen inches. Article Seven fixes the total tonnage of the aircraft carriers as follows: — United States and Britain, each 135,000; France and Italy, each 60,000; Japan,

81/100. . , _ , ... The following four Articles deal with the replacement of aircraft carriers, their armament, etc. Article Twelve provides that no vessels hereafter laid down, except capital ships, shall carry guns in excess of efght-inch. Article Thirteen provides that no yesjel ecrappable may be reconverted into a warship. Article Fourteen provides that no preparation snail be made on merchantmen m peace time for the purpose of converting such ship into a war vessel, ''other than stiffening the decks for mounting guns not exceeding six inches.” The next four Articles deal with various rules regarding the building by any contracting Powers for other Powers, ■whilst Article Nineteen concerns the fortification of Pacific Islands, natural 3,nd the maintenance of the status quo at the time of signing the Treaty. Under this Article Britain is permitted fd fortify Hong Kong and the Pacific insular possessions now held or hereafter acquired east of the 110 degree® east longitude, except those adjacent to the coasts of Canada. Australia and its territories, and New Zealand. The Article explains tfie status quo. The agreement implies no new fortifications or bases shall be established or the present defences or naval facilities increased in the territories named, the restriction not precluding, however, the replacement of worn-out weapons or equipment. Then follow uniform rules lor scrapping warships, which must be treated so “that they cannot be put to combatant Use,” which may be effected by sulking, breaking up, or converting into targets. _ The Treaty provides that the agreement~shall remain in force until December 31, 1936, and in case none of the Powers have given notice two years prior to that date of its intention to terminate, it shall continue in force until the expiration two years from the date notice is given. The last Article provides for the ratification of the Treaty under the constitutional methods of each st the Powers.