WORLD NAVIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 72, 7 January 1936, Page 5

WORLD NAVIES

RESUMPTION OF CONFERENCE. INFORMATION ON CONSTRUCTION THREE PLANS TO BE SUBMITTED. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 1.30 p.m.)LONDON, January 6. The Five-Power Naval Conference was resumed this afternoon. At the opening meeting the chairman of the First Committee (Viscount Monsell) stated that Mr R. A. Eden had been appointed delegate of the United) Kingdom to succeed Sir Samuel Hoare. It was agreed by all the delegations that as the conference had at .its plenary session elected as president the British Foreign Secretary, no further election was required, the presidency devolving ex officia on Mr Eden. Discussion of the United Kingdom proposal for voluntary and unilateral declarations of naval construction over a period of years was then resumed at the point which had been reached when the committee adjourned for the Christmas recess.

The United Kingdom delegate proceeded to reply to various criticisms which had been made by the Japanese delegation in regard to the proposal prior to the recess. A statement was then made by the French delegation, drawing attention to certain provisions in the United Kingdom proposal which would require considerable modification to ensure practical application of the scheme.

The Italian delegation pointed out certain objections to the adoption" of the United Kingdom proposal, and suggested that unilateral declarations of naval construction should be restricted to one year.

Three plans dealing with the question of exchange of information will be circulated by the French, Italian, and United Kingdom delegates for examination at the next meeting on Wednesday. This idea for the exchange of information regarding naval construction is to broaden the basis of the provisions which are now contained in the Washington and London Treaties.—British Official Wireless.

PESSIMISTIC JAPANESE.

FEARS FOR A BREAKDOWN. (Received This Day, 1.10 p.m.) 'LONDON, Jan. 6. "The Times" correspondent at Tokio savs that the vernacular Press is preparing its readers for the failure of the Naval Conference. The foreign spokesman, however, expressed the opinion that the fears are premature, and says that the discussion of Japan's proposals is not nearly, exhausted.