WORLD'S NAVIES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18926, 15 February 1927, Page 9

WORLD'S NAVIES.

PROPOSED CONFERENCE. FRANCE TO REFUSE INVITATION. (bt euu—rßESs association—comioEi.j' (austbalun and ir.z. cabli association.) PARIS, February IS. Following a Cabinet discussion, M. Briand is drafting a reply to President Coolidge's invitation. It will amount to a courteous refusal on the ground that the whole subject of disarmament is now being considered by the League Commission on which the small as well as the Great Powers are represented, which was not the case when tho Washington Conference met. BRITAIN'S NEEDS. PROTECTION OF TRADE ROUTES. (AUSTRALIAN AND X.X. CABLI ASSOCIATION.) (Received February 14th, 7.20 p.m.) LONDON, February 14. The "Daily Chronicle" says in regard to President Coolidge's message, "We should welcome a self-denying ordinance which would relieve an overtimorous Government from tho temptation to build beyond our needs and means, but we do not mean that we can afford to overlook the fact that with respect to cruisers and destroyers for policing trade routes there is obviously a bigger demand in Britain and the Dominions than falls to any other single country. Such an obvious point could be settled by any conference which really meant business, but the co-opera-tion of France is essential; If France consented to reduce her submarine construction, we would gladly follow by reducing the number of our destroyers, which are the principal defence against them."