LIMITATION OF ARMAMENTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19816, 2 January 1930, Page 11

LIMITATION OF ARMAMENTS.

THE PROBLEM OF PARITY. BRITISH-U.S.A. CRIISER STRENGTH. crmiio rnt» association *t r.i.jxTßin TCXEGEArH—torvUCBT 1 (Received Januan lsl, 7 p.m.) LONDON, December ai. It now appears (hat nil tho chiefs of the flotations lor the London Naval Conference arc likely to arrive early, with the view to having a preliminary t'llk with Mr Ramsay MmDonald. Besides Mr Hfiinaon and Mr Wakatsuki nnd the respective Amori<aii and Japanese delegations, who have already conferred with Mr MmDonald, Signor Grandi and the ic.-t of the Italian delegation are expected to roach London well ahead of the conference- time. Spain has not yet approached (lie B) itish Government with a view to participation. It is pointed out thnt .she will have the opportunity of reviewing her decision before the Preparatory Disarmament Commission meets at Geneva, of which Spain is a member. The "Daily Telegraphy naval eon tribuvor li.is reason to anticipate that the United States will demand at least 21 ten-thousand-ton cruiser*, being three more than Sir MacDonnld suggested to General Danes. It was understood at Washington that the Navy Department wanted 23, hut was overruled. The comparative position would be:--United States Twenty-one 10.000 ton cruisers, mounting 191 eight-inch guns. British Empire- Thirteen of lO.Onn tons, nnd two of 8400 tons, mounting llfi eight-inch guns. The American Fleet therefore will have an advantage of seventy-five eight-inch guns. On the other hand. Britain will he granted a surplus of small cruisers displacing about 5000 tons, and carrying six-inch guns. It is pointed out that the arrangement is to ti;ivc the United States cruising superiority. Naval circle* ate unable to understand why, as the British Empire possesses 15 eight-inch gun cruisers, built or building, and the United States thirteen, the parity moblem cannot be solved by America building two additional cruisers, and thereafter, like Britain, eonflnuig her building activities to small cruisers mounting six-inch guns. LONDON CONFERENCE PROSPECTS. VIEWS OP GENERAL SMUTS. (Received. January Ist, 8.85 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 31. General Smuts, who is on a lecturing tour of America in the interests of the League of Nations, in a wireless message, says: "To my mind, the ultimate result of the London Conference will depend mainly on whether the question of naval armaments is approached from the standpoint of nation:;! requirements, or the standpoint that the Peace Pact creates n now situation, and is to be lived up to bv all signatories. If the national need is the standpoint, the whole question will be considered in a war atmosphere, and no real progress will be made. The conference may even lead to an increase of armaments. If the Peace Pact is the standard, there is no reason why very substantial reductions should not be made, as anticipated bv President Hoover in his Armistice Day speech." GENERAL SCOPE OF CONFERENCE. PRIME MINISTERS TO MEET. (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIBM.MS.) RUGBY, December 30. It is understood that Mr Ramsay Mac Donald (Prime Minister), who has been staying at Lossiemouth, in Scotland, during the Christmas holidays, will go to "Chequers," the official country residence of the Prime Minister, before returning to London for the opening of the Five-Power Conference on naval disarmament on January 21st, The Prime Minister wishes to have a talk with M. Tardieu (French Prime Minister) on the general scope of the conference, and the French memorandum, and it is likely that the meeting of the two Prime Ministers, almost on the eve nf the conference, will take place at "Chequers." BRITAIN'S NAVAL NEEDS. (Received January Ist, 7 p.m.) LONDON, December 31. "The Em den and' (he Karlsruhe incidents illustrate most clearly the indisputable fact that the cruiser requirements of the British Empire are immeasurable by the naval strength of other nat'iou.s," says Ixml Linlithgow, president of the Navy League, in a New Year message. He adds: "The length and importance of the trade routes and the immense difficulties of bringing action against hostile commerce raiders must necessarily govern cruiser requirements. Naval experts alone are capable of translating the terms of British policy and the needs in fighting ships vital to security. Britain's demands are non-committal to any undertaking without the full approval of the Admiralty." THE KING'S SPEECH. (Received January Ist, 7.40 p.m.) 1/ONDON, January 1. The King's (Speech at the Disarma- j ment Conference will he broadcast, through •'iSW, primarily for reception throughout the Empire. FRANCE'S NAVY. NEW SQUADRONS TO BE ADDED. (Received January 2nd, 12.20 a.m.) PARIS, January 1. M. Lcygues, Minister for Marine, announced Cabinet Council that new separate squadrons had been organised for stationing in the Pacific, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Africa, and in West Indian waters. A flying squadron consisting of three new cruisers of the Duquesne type had also been created. The announcement, coming on the eve of the London conference, is believed to indicate that France will insist that these ships are a necessary protection of her Colonies and cannot be considereel a* part of the quota allotted to her if. parity with lta'y is demanded.