Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 1930. THE NAVAL CONFERENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 151, 8 April 1930, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 1930. THE NAVAL CONFERENCE.

The looming' failure of' the Naval Conference so far as a Five-Power agreement is concerned is not surprising in view cf the attitude adopted l by France and Italy in regard to the question of parity in the Mediterranean. The width of the gulf between the two countries in this respect is shown by the fact that a composition wasi impossible even after the delegates had given to consideration of the problem a measure of attention that, so far as Press reports indicate, was not exceeded by that devoted to any other aspect of the position. According to' Mr Gibson, of the United States delegation, Britain, the United States and Japan have reached a definite agreement regarding battleships, while Fiance and Italy are t!o be left to themselves in their endeavours to arrange a pact applying to their Mediterranean interests, a decision publicly registered by Mr MacDonald in his speech in the House of Commons: Britain, according to the Prime Minister, will not go beyond commitments limited by the Covenant of the League or the Locarno treaties. Mr Gibson has not given up all hope, that a five-Power agreement will he signed, but if the threePower pact is the only outcome possible, lie indicated that, it will be on a basis allowing of the participation of the two other Powers when their difficulties have been solved. The discussions at the Conference generally have been divided into two categories—one, consideration of the problem by technicians, and the other consideration by the political delegates. The viewpoint of the technical experts, even when restricted to questions of defence, has necessarily been that of possible war. That of' the politicians has been with equal necessity the possibility and desirability of peace. The promotion of an international agreement harmonising both motives—one that shall give France security and at the same time put a decisive check on competition in naval construction—has been the duty of the political delegations. Britain, while earnestly seeking solution of the problem, was not prepared to increase her commitments, consequently, as France declined to modify her attitude, the tlireePower pact received attention. But even with the failure of the Conference to attain its original objective, the time spent at London must not be regarded as lost. As the Americans say, it has been worth, while, forming another link in the chain that will, it is to be hoped, eventually bring ah oil t. a decided world-wide diminution of the competition in naval building*, that at present constitutes such a drain on the economic resources of every conn try.