NAVAL CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19862, 25 February 1930, Page 11

NAVAL CONFERENCE.

CONTINUITY OF FRENCH POLICY. CONSIDERATION OF SUBMARINE PROBLEM. (JSBITIB* OFFICIAL WIKBLBBS.) 11UGBY, February 22. 'L'hc French Prime Minister, M. Uhautemps, completed his Cabinet last ni'dii and presented the new Ministers to" the President. The new Government will meet in the Chamber on Tuesday, and it is anticipated that the delegation to the Naval Conferfiice will leave for London on Wednesday. The Minister lor foreign Affairs, M \ristide Briand, will head the delegation, which, as before, will comprise the Ministers for Marine and the Colonies. The new holders of these offices are M. Sarraut and M. Famoureux. It was stated by the Prime Minister that the Government will take the necessary steps to assure continuity of policy at the London Conference. Until the arrival of the French delegates the Conference stands adjourned. TJio only progress fciiJit litis ugoii possible in the interval is a preliminary survey of certain aspects of the submarine question, which has been referred to the legal experts. Speeches made at the plenary session indicated a strong desire on the part of all delegations to do what was possible to humanise the use of submarines. No question of limitation df the size of vessels is before these experts, who had a further informal meeting yesterday, when the Root Convention signed in Washington, in 1922, which, owing to non-ratification by France, never came into operation, was taken as the starting point for their review. The convention that l>elliferent submarines are not in any circumstances exempt from the rules applicable to surface vessels, and that any submarine commander who violates any of these rules sTiould be liable to trial and punishment for an act of piracy, and that the prohibition of the use of the submarines as commerce destroyers should be universally accepted as part of the law of nations. In view of the practical impossibility of using them in this way ami at the same time giving due protection to tho lives of neutrals and non-combatants the leaal experts are now considering whether any modification of these principles is considered desirable.

FAILURE REPORTED. STATEMENT BY "DAILY EXPRESS." (Received February 24th, 6.40 p.m.) LONDON, February 24. The "Daily Express," which throughout has taken a somewhat despairing to-day features a story of its Conference representative _ headed "Naval Conference Collapse," in which he declares that the Conference is closing down until 1935. He nddß: "The statement will probably be denied by the British Spokesman, but nevertheless it is n fact that the Conference failed for the same reason as did the Conference in Geneva in 1927, from insufficient preparation, and too ninny fine phrases."

AMERICAN NAVAL EXPERT ILL. (Received February 24th, 6.40 p.m.) LONDON, February 24. The Navnl Conference continues to mark time. The only event of importance during the week-end was the announced departure for America on Wednesday of Rear-Admiral H. P. Jones, chief naval adviser to the Ame : rioau delegation. The Official Spokesman declares that Ins departure is due solely to illness, and there is no reason whv it should have any effect on the Conference. FRENCH DELEGATES CONFER. PARIS. February 23. if. Sarraut, who will he the delegate to the London Conference if the Government secures a in the Chamber on February 25th, visited M. Le.vgues and assured him of his own approval of M. Tardieu's standpoint. M. Chautemps also conferred with M. Leygues, who promised advice in an** way contributing to the defence of the interests of the navy of France. OUTLOOK CONSIDERED PROMISING. (BRITISH OFfrtOlAX WIBBL*SB.* RUGBY, February 23. Mr Philip Snowden. Chancellor of the Exchequer, in a speech last night at Huddersfield, referred to the work of the Naval Conference. He said that probably some people thought that bv this time the Conference ought to have arrived at some conclusion, but international cont rences never worked very quickly. I rom all lie heard the outlook at the Conference was distinctly promising, ana seemed to point to there berns some arrangement made bv which the tremendous burden of naval expenditure would be considerably lightened. AMERICA'S ATTITUDE. INTERVIEW WITH DR. MARTIN. [THU PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON. February 24. An explanation of the attitude ot the United States towards disarmament was given to-day by Dr. C. E. Martin, Professor of History and Dean of the faculty of political science of the University of Washington. Dr. Martin is a through passenger by the Tahiti, which arrived at Wellington this morning en route from Sydney to San Francisco. . Dr Martin said the Government and people of the United States wanted disarmament. They were ready and prepared to disarm by agreement, but not by example. "In the United States, said l>r. Martin, "there are two schools of thought with regard to this question One believes that armaments generate war They say 'disarm and we will have no war.'" The other school believes that war generates armaments. They say 'Get rid of war as an institution and you will get rid of armaments.' In other words, you have a security group as against a disarmament group. "We are verv concerned about this particular. Conference. We must feel that some responsibility for the failure of the Geneva Conference must fall on the United States. One reason for the failure was the predominance of

the military mind. That has been remedied, and to-day our naval men are there to answer questions and not to dictate the policy of the United States." , Explaining wliv the Uuited states had held aloof From the League of Nations. Dr. Martin said that among the foremost reasons was the fear . political consequence a and the disinclination of the American people to commit themselves in advance of contingencies. Again. there were tue current disappointments with tne League that were found all over world. For one thine', the League nad not outlawed war. For another, tito territorial guarantee had been "tactically rejected, not only bv the United States, but by the members of the League. "On the other said Dr. Mai'tin, "we are participating in the economic, intellectual, financial, and cultural work, and in the non-political activities of the Lea true. The time may come when we will paiticioate in tho political activites."