LAWS OF NAVAL WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 154, 30 June 1911, Page 5

LAWS OF NAVAL WAR.

RATIFYING THE DECLARATION

RISK OF REPRISAIu

COMPETITION IN ARMAMENTS.

(By Cable.—Press Association Copyright.)

(Receired 8.50 ajn.)

LOMDON, June 29.

In the House of Commons, llr. McKinnon Wood (Parliamentary Under-Secre-tary to the Foreign Office), in moving tha second reading of the Naval Prize Bill said, "If we refused to ratify it we would run the risk of having food declared absolute contraband. We -would have to build more Dreadnoughts and there would be an end of the hope of limitation of armaments."

He attached great importance to the overseas Prime Ministers' approval of th« Declaration of London i n its broad aspects. H© added, sarcastically, that their opponents said much less about tha opinions of the Dominions' representatives since their approval had been gained.

Amid cheers and counter cheers he deprecated the use of the Dominions as the pawns in the party game, and said it was impossible to defer ratisfication until ;i Royal Commission confirmed the Declaration.

! Mr. Wood added that Admirals Wilson, Fisher, and Slade and the four previous directors of the Naval Intelligence Department favoured the Declaration, and their opinions carried more weight than the dissenting admirals. Sir Robert Finlay, Unionist ALP. for Edinburgh and St. Andrews Universities, derided the notion that the Declaration of London would end the competition in armaments. The proposed constitution of the Prize Court was outrageous, and the Government had completely surrendered British principles on the question of contraband and the destruction of neutrals, though Britain had the support of America and Japan. Article 34 was simply the adoption of the German draft. Ratification of the Declaration would be a national calamity. The debate was adjourned, but the GovernmeoJ fcas granted an additional day for the debate, in the hope that it will terminate on Mond*y. Mr. Reginald McKenna (First Lord of the Admiralty) said that the Declaration would not bind Britain in the slightest as regards allowing belligerent rights to merchantmen converted on the high, seas into cruisers.

The Court had no jurisdiction between belligerents, the Declaration affected neutrals alone.

He added, "If we were at war with a Power which converted merchantmen into warships at sea we would be. as free to deal with those merchantment as before signing the Declaration."