NAVAL ACCORD.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19724, 14 September 1929, Page 17

NAVAL ACCORD.

THE ANGLO-AMERICAN CONVERSATIONS. HOPEFUL INDICATIONS. FINAL AGREEMENT EXPECTED. (uiirta* mass 4ssom»tio»-*bi sLßcraio TisueoßAPH copvarour I (Received September 13th, 7.40 p.m.) LONDON, September 12, The announcement that the Prime Minister, Mf Mas Donald, was definitely Koiiiß to America on September 28th followed tha visit of the the American Ambassador. General Charles Dawes. to Downing Street, where he presented the latest American Note. It took the Prime Minister unde •• an hour to peruse the information and converse with the Ambassador. Then he made up his mind on the spot rVmake the trip. This in itself is regarded as an indication that the Governments are near a until accord.

Mr Maeuouaiu subsequently had a couiertmce wttu the first L.ord of toe Admiralty, jar A. V. Aiexanuer, accompanied uy iiigu Admiralty officials, ioa»y a .Now will bit submitted, to the foreign Ortice and various experts. Caoinet will probablj be summoned. AD the newspapers feature the news concerning the naval negotiations. Ine news available here is meagre, but lengthy cables from Washington ana New York purport to give an outline of the discussions and issues* at stake Indeed, the information released here regarding the proposals has been negligible throughout the negotiations. The "Daily Telegraph's" Parliamentary oorretpondent state* that the British tfovernment is willing to content itself with 15 10,000-ton cruisers fitted with eieht-inch guns, against-America's 18 cruisers, Jt is thought that the latest United States proposal would reduce the British quota to 12. Britain at present has 13 cruisers of this type built or heine built, inciting two *"«- tralian cruisers. Therefore a reduction to 12 means the scrapping of one

"The Times*' says the conversations must nere*»arily be provisional, pend<«<r the rTni«ilt«tioii of other Powers, but, however formidable the oiiatar-le* that remain, it is clear that the chancer of ultimate success are immeasurably greater than two *ears HBO, whan a rig'd abstract definition of pnritv wrecked nil prosperts of an a»r*#"w*nt.—*n**r»liaß Press Association, United Service.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR FORMAL CONFERENCE. (Received September 18th, 7.40 pm.) NEW YORK. September 12. The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times" states that the oAoial announcement from London of Mr M«oD»nald's visit has resulted in the admission, in authoritative quarters here, of an agreement between the United Bta*M and* Great Britain on the preliminaries - for a formal naval disarmament conference, possibly in London in December, after the views of the Japanese, French, and Italian Govcrnnients have been ascertained. The Secretary for State. Mr Henry L, Stimson, «ommenting on W-dav s Note to London said it would not in Itself bring ahout an agreement on terms between the two Governments but he conceded that it was of such a nature as to give Mr Mac Donald con fidenee that an aareement would be rpnpbed. Indications are that the United States f«lt nhltVed to make conces'-ions to tb« | British contentions relative's; to tneir requirements for the defence of Empire trade, and that the solution which has been found will be the building by ; th« United States up to the authorised 15 er»ifw>r prowm-vim** Australian Press Association. United Service. READJUSTMENT OF CRUISER PROGRAMMES. WASHINGTON, September 12. Revision of the United States position in regard to disarmament, facilitating an agreement with Britain and bringing such aeeord very near, Is believsd to nave resulted from protracted conferences between President Hoover, Mr Henry L. Bti»*on, Secretary tor State, Mr Charles Adams* Secretary of the Navy, and the General Board of the Navy. It is hoped within tie pear future, perhaps within hours, that new. instructions will go forwnrd to General Dawes for presentation to Mr Mac Donald. The indications were that the conferences had to do with the readjustment of the fifteen-cruiser construction programme, effecting the redistribution of tonnage, gun power, and other elements to conform with the wishes of the British. Government. Mr Stimson announced that a communication had been dispatched to General Dawes on tho subject of naval disarmament, but he declined to make any comment on the matter. ft is annonnead that no Information will bo given on the naval disarmament instructions to General Dawes until a reply is received from London. It is understood that an early reply would be welcome here, and it is not believed that the suggestions contained in the cable to General Dawes will require prolonged examination by the British authorities. . .... . Mr Stimson said that the Note sent to General Dawes, might have caused the British Prime Minister. Mr Mac Donald. "to be confident that there wonld be an agreement" between Great Britain and the United States on naval limltaMr Stimson 's comment that Mr MacDonald was hopeful of a naval agreement was made in response to enquiries concerning the London announcement that Mr Mac Donald would sail for the United States on September 28th. He said- "This means that we are, at least, hopeful of in agreement. The Note last night was not of such a nature that you eoold say it brought about agree ment. but it was working towards an agreement, and could have caused Mr Mac Donald to be confident that there would be one." The Under-Secretary for State, Mr Cotton, said that the London announcement meant that the nations were near enough to an agreement to al'ow the Prime Minister to make his visit—Australian Press Association. EVERY PROSPECT OF SETTLBMENT. LQNDpN, September 18. It is officially stated that Mr Mac Donald is going to America on September 28th. It is now understood that the margin of Anglo-American differences is