THE NAVIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 81, 16 January 1930, Page 5

THE NAVIES

THE CRUISER STRENGTH.

GIVE AND TAKE SPIRIT. BUT OTHERS MUST ALSO GIVE. (United Press Association —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 16. Viscount Bridgeman, First Lord ol the Admiralty in the. late Conservative Government, addressing a special public meeting of the Navy League, spoke on the subject of the Naval Conference. He said the*'cruiser problem was the difficulty in 1927, and it was the most serious difficulty now’. Our building nolicy had been one ot slow replacement and within the next ten years 35 of: our existing cruisers would bo obsolete. He referred to the statement of Mr A. V. Alexander,'the present First Lord ot the! Admiralty, that we wore willing to reduce our cruiser strength* to 50 ships. He said Mr Alexander’s reason for this was most unconvincing. It was the Kellogg Pact that had made all the difference between the 70 cruisers wo wanted in 1927, and the 50 we wanted now. If the Kellogg Pact was the only reason, w’hv should it have such a curiously different effect upon different countries? Apparently it caused other countries to increase their cruisers and Great Britain was the only one which was led to reduce. “Wo cannot go on giving something for - nothing,” Viscount Bridgeman added. He believed that an agreement could be reached in the spirit of give and take, but other people must give as well as ourselves. —British Official Wireless.

MISUSE OF THE LANGUACE. MR MACDONALD’S BOUQUETS. (Received This Dnv, 1.50 p.m.) LONDON, January 15. “Calling the forthcoming Naval Conference one for reduction, when it is a reduction of the British Fleet alone, is a misuse of the language.” asserted the ex-First Lord of the Admiralty (Viscount Bridgeman) when addressing the Navy League. “Mr MacDonald has scattered beautiful rhetorical bouquets in America, but he has got no nearer solving the problem than .the late Government did.” The Navy League would welcome an agreement provided l nothing was done to impair the security of the Empire and its trade routes. Other nations had formulated minimum demands and our statesmen should do likewise. Singapore would he needed if the Conference failed. Tf it succeeded, it would be still more necessary owing to naval reduction.

BRITAIN’S CHIEF AIM.

.TO ACHIEVE REDUCTIONS

(Received This Day, 2.30 iP ! .m.)

LONDON

January 15,

The expressed aim of the British Government in entering next week’s Naval Conference is to achieve the maximum reduction in naval armaments commensurate with international security, avoiding proposals that would wreck the chances of ail agreement, and bearing constantly in mind the extent of the British Empire and its dependencies on the Navy for the protection of her seaborne trade and maritime communications. Justification for the hope thqt much reduction may safely be realised is to be found primarily in the numerous instruments for entrenching security which have been signed sincq the war. The Covenant of the League ot Nations, the Washington Treaty, the Locarno Treaties, the Optional Clause and the Pact of Paris are the most notable of these instruments, but in addition there have beep a number oi regional agreements ’to which the signatories attach considerable importance for the maintenance of world peace. ' The cumulative effect of tnese agreements, it is felt, make some advance in the direction of naval disarmament possible, for in view of tbe government, military force must bear some relation to the immediate risk ot war, which, as the result of these agreements, lias been reduced, and it is bad statesmanship to maintain armaments beyond necessity. It is the opinion: of the Government that the dangerous tendency within recent years to expand world naval armaments may, unless checked, lead to competition.' There are three ways in which the problem of naval reduction may be approached. Firstly, bv the reduction of fleets in being; secondly, by the reduction of the programmes sanctioned by the various Governments; and thirdly, by an extension of the life of existing ships. In regard to battleships, the Washington Treaty left their age at 20 years. If that life can lie extended at the coming conference to 25 years, the result will be equivalent to a reduc-

tion. As to the cruisers, the problem is largely that of the distribution of tonnage within the cruiser categories and of agreement upon what should be the equilibrium as between nation and nation in tbe number of cruisers. The

British Government therefore bases itself on tbe assumption that for a considerable period peace is secure, and that the mere fact that a navi agreement, is reached will increase the feeling of security, even if the result of the Conference does not fulfil all the hopes of those responsible for convening it. The British Government are determined to do everything within their power to shew the world that it is prepared to proceed step by step to a satisfactory solution of the. disarmament problem, but everything is dependent on an international agreement. Britain will take no step toward disarmament merely as a gesture. Britain can only move on the condition that other nations move corre-

spondingly, and any agreement which comes oiit of the Conference must really represent the international policy of an international agreement to extend the life and reduce the size and gun power of replacement battleships, would lie a great stop forward. Agreement regarding tho cruisers as to the number, size and distribution would also represent, a most valuable advance. As to submarines, the .Government favour their complete abolition. but, failing that, they aim at a

rod notion in thoir sizo find nnnibor to the minimum. Here, again, however, the question arises of achieving a satisfactory equilibrium between the nations. If unduly stressed, it might destroy the chance of valuable results. So far aa the British Government is

concerned, they will go into the Conference prepared to favour the proposal which will represent not .merely their own point of view, but which will represent the most helpful basis for reaching a general agreement.

AN EARLY BEGINNING.

GREAT IMPORTANCE, RECOGNISED.

(United Press Association—Copyright.)

LONDON, January 1-1

The Five-Power Naval Conference will betrin its work a week from to-day. Although the Conference will hold practically all its meetings m bt. James’s Palace, the first plenary session will be held in the Royal Gallery of the House of Lords,, when the King Will deliver the inaugural speech. His words together with the speeches which will follow from the principal delegates., are going to be broadcast and "will be audible over a large part of the world. Arrangements have been made to relay them in different parts of the Empire, in some European countries and in the United. States.. Seventeen microphones have been installed in the Royal Gallery for the occasion and the King will speak into a special crold and silver instrument which the Marconi Company have always reserved for his exclusive use. As the date of the conference approaches there has been a. growing public recognition, not only in Britain but also ih all countries directly interested, of tlie great importance of the event and of the immense responsibility which rests upon tlie delegates. Profiting by past experience, the way of the conference has been prepared by informal and explanatory conversations in the different capitals which, without in any case forestalling the decisions of the conference, have helped to bring an understanding of the different points of view and of the salient problems with which the conference will he called on to deal. Although it is impossible to give any aecuraFe forecast, the general view is that the conference will last several weeks. The personnel of the delegations now concentrating will make the conference one ol the strongest international assemblies that has ever met in London. At the opening of the plenary session there will lie present as chief delegates: The British Prime 'Minister., accompanied by tlie Foreign Secretary (Mr Arthur Henderson), the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V. Alexander), and the Secretary of State for India (Captain Wedgwood Bonn). Tlie Secretary of State (Mr J. Stimson) will head an imposing delegation from the United States, which includes tlie Secretary for the Navy, (Mr Charles Adams). General Dawes. Mr Hugh Gibson. Mx Dwight Morrow and Senators Reed and Robinson. Japan’s chief representatives include a former Prime Minister (Mr Wakatsuki) and the Minister of Marine (Mr Takarabe). M. Tardieu, leading the French delegation, will he accompanied) by Mm. Briancl Leygues and Pietri. Italy’s representatives, headed by the Minister of Finance (Signor Mosconi) will include Signors Pierulli and Suvich.

The British Dominions will also have their representatives, and Mr Colhan, chief of the Disarmament Section of the League of Nations, will attend as observer without participating in the proceedings. The Japanese representatives have been in London some days and have had several conversations with the principal British delegates, including another yesterday with tlie Prime Minister. Other delegations will reach London next week-end. A general desire has been expressed to reduce official entertainment to the lowest reasonable limit, but there will he a Government banquet on the night the conference assembles and two clays afterwards delegates will be guests at the Guildhall of the Lord Mayor_and Corporation of London. The United States delegation are due to reach England on Friday morning and the French and Italian delegations are expected on Saturday. The Prime Minister, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, will meet the American Secretary of State (Mr Stimson) and his colleagues shortly after they reach London. There will he a meeting of all the chief delegates in the Prime Minister's residence, iDowning Street, on Monday morning to settle details of procedure. Tn the afternoon the King will receive members of the delegations at Buckingham Palace. At njght they will be guests at a banquet given in their honour by the British Government.

AMERICAN DELEGATION.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR SEATING

LONDON, January 15

Tt is learned that Mr H. L. Stimson is racing to London, presumably to have a chance of conferring with Mr MacDonald, M. Tardieu and others before tbe Naval Conference opens. The liner George Washington, with extra speed, should reach Plymouth on Thursday night, before schedule time. This will enable the American party to arrive in London early on Friday morning. It is possible that Mr Stimson will spend the week-end at the Chequers. In the meantime seating arrangements have been fixed for the opening of the conference on Tuesday. On the King’s .right, in the order named, will be tho French, Canadian and Australian delegations, with five Americans on the extreme right. On his Majesty’s left will he the British. Indian, Irish Free State, Italian, Japanese, New Zealand and South African delegations. The speeches will lie relayed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The King will he followed bv Mr MacDonald, then tho leaders of the delegations, including Mr J. Fl. Fenton (Australia) and Mr Thomas Wilford (New Zealand).