CATEGORIES OF SHIPS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 54, 5 March 1930, Page 7

CATEGORIES OF SHIPS.

Repdrt Ready for :• •■' Conside ration. SUBMARINE t QUESTION. (British Officii 1 Wireless.) (Received i .30 p.m.) m, JGBY, March 4. - At a-meeting'of'tha heads of the delegations to the' Naval Conference the vreportof the scheme ;j for establishing a series of categories q f ships, which is regarded as a comprq mise between the British proposal to 1 imit tonnage by categories and the'Fre 1 nch proposal that there should; be "limitation by global tonnage,- allowing freect om for apportionment as. between the, different classes of ships available,. th« i experts recommend, as the main cates ,-ories, battleships with aeroplane carriers', cruisers mountguns of more than, six-inch calibre, cruisers with guns of \ six-inch or less, destroyers and submarines. In the case, of-Franq s and. Italy -the classes of light cruisers and destroyers are to be reckoned as a single category. The experts' report on vessels exempt from inclusion in any a itegory is also complete, and since the la, st formal meeting of the heads of 4< 3legations the experts have made good:.; progress in the examination of the questions regarding special' ships. ' '-,'•■ ■ Certain questions of prii iciple, however, have been reserved for A 3cision by the heads of the" delegations? The problem of determining .the measures to be taken to carry' out the una nimous desire of all the delegations to- humanise the operations of" the submarine in war' is still under intent considers:tiioh. Certain questions in"com;iectibn with the problem, were consider? d yesterday by the British "CommonweT alth. delegations. ■ ;..;, .... > - 1 (■•-" •■'. ■■■'■ MENACE pFTIIEAIR. Law Against Sink) ng of. Merchantmen^ INTERNATIONAL LAW, URGED. i.:,...-.■ - - •: (Received,lo.3o a.m.);; -LONDON, 3 larch 4. . In the House" of Mr. MacDonald said that he would ccjisider the question of' providing by inft srnatipnal law against the sinking of mej 'chantmen by aircraft, endangering crews and passengers. He could not guarantee that it would be discussed at the lit aval Conference. |. .. ■