GERMANY’S NAVY

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20727, 10 February 1939, Page 5

GERMANY’S NAVY

GUNS AND TONNAGE

WITHIN TREATY RIGHTS

QUESTIONS IN COMMONS

(United Prtii Aas*.—JEJec. TeL rnpjrimi) LONDON, Feb. 8 The German Government’* decision to mount 8-inch guns on the new 10,000-ton cruiser Seydlits And to resume freedom to construct submarine tonnage up to the British total wm the subject of seven questions on the House of Commons order paper. They were answered by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, Mr G. H. Shakespeare, who made it clear that the German decisions were in accordance with the rights conferred upon her In the Anglo-German naval agreements of 1935 and 193*2. The German Government's standpoint in reaching these decisions, Mr Shakespeare said, had been staled to be that in the present condition of international affairs Germany was no longer prepared to refrain from developing her naval forces to the full extent permitted by the Anglo-German Treaty. He mentioned that the increase in the German tonnage did not affect the over-ridingr condition in the lreai> that the total German naval tonnage should not exceed 35 per cent of the aggregate tonnage of the British Commonwealth. Mr Shakespeare added that the Board of Admiralty could not agree that the exercise by any Power of a right conferred upon it by treaty \ could be regarded as constituting a 1 threat to Britain or any other Power. However, in drawing up the 1938programme of new naval construction, Britain had given full weight to all factors in naval developments in all parts of the world, and the speaker invited the House to await the Nary Estimates to see what that programme would contain. NAVAL HOLIDAY AMERICAN'S SUGGESTION (United Press asms —Pec. TeL Oucijrkii) WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 One of the Democrat members oi the House of Representatives for Indiana, Mr I*. L. Ludlow, wbo. In December, 1937, suggested that a national referendum could be taken on the question of America entering a war, has written to the Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, proposing that the United States Government seek to arrange a world naval holiday and international arms limitation.