PROBLEM OF SECURITY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19888, 27 March 1930, Page 11

PROBLEM OF SECURITY.

M. BRIAND HOPES FOR SOLUTION. INTERNATIONAL assurances SOUGHT. (UMTED PRESS ASSOCIATION— BY ELKCTSIO TELEGHAPH—C&PYRIGHT.) (Receivea March 26th, 7 p.m.) 1 _ PARIS, March 25. M. Briand, during the Budget debate in the Senate, said that France had played a pacific role throughout the tiu n ' eronCe i without losing sight or the country's securfty. International assurance against an aggressor was the only sohd basis for peace. France had not built a single ton of capital ships since the Washington Conference, but wished to safeguard her big colonial Empire. He had not given up hope of seeing the security problem successfully tackled. HEADS OF DELEGATIONS MEET. PLENARY SESSION NEXT WEEK. (bbitish official wireless.) RUGBY, March 25. The heads of the Naval Conference delegations held a meeting at St. James' Palace this evening. At its conclusion a communique was issued explaining that the state of the Conference's work had been reviewed, that it had been agreed to hold a plenary session some time next week, and that a further meeting of the delegation chiefs had been fixed for Thursday, when M. Briand will have returned to London. It is stated that the Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay Mac Donald), in common with the other delegation chiefs, still has definitely in mind the chief purpose for which the conference was held, namely, the conclusion of a treaty between the five Powers. Meanwhile, the discussions are actively continuing in regard to the British and French naval programmes and figures, and a way out of the Franco-Italian impasse is still being sought. The Japanese Government's reply to the proposals put forward, with British approval, by the American delegation, is also being awaited. At their meeting»to-night the delegation chiefs undertook to make a further effort to co-ordinate the work of the Conference, and to overcome the difficulties with which it is faced. The return of M. Briand, who comes from Paris to-morrow, is expected to assist towards this end, and there is considerable hope that as a result of the renewed initiative which the chiefs are displaying it will be possible at the plenary meeting arranged for next week to Teport definite progress. HOPE NOT YET LOST. M. BRIAND DISCUSSES SECURITY (TOTTED VMSSS ASSOCIATION—BT ELECTRIC TEMOBAPr—COPTOGHT.) PARIS, March 25. In the course of a speech dealing with the Conference, M. Briand said France must not allow criticism representing her as an obstacle to agreement to . turn her aside from her national preoccupations about security. But the London negotiations had in nowise ended, and he did not despair of an ultimate solution, though hitherto they i had .been unable to obtain what France wanted because all the were' not prepared to accept a legal solution of their quarrels. Mutual organisation and security were necessary. France was not asking for security in her own interests, but for a mutual general organisation useful to everyone—a policy not based on old-fashioned alliances, but on mutual guarantees against a common danger. AN ADJOURNMENT PROPOSED. FRANCO-ITALIAN IMPASSE. LONDON, March 25. The British spokesman has confirmed the report of an Italian proposal to adjourn the Conference for six months to enable the French and Italians _to attempt to compose their difficulties, and that meanwhile a three-Power pact should be considered. The spokesman gave an assurance that the proposal was momentarily put aside, because the experts were continuing their endeavour to find a solution on a five-Power basis., He admitted that the Italian suggestion would be worth while in certain circumstances. > . Signor Grandi, during a meeting with Mr Mac Donald, suggested that the Conference should adjourn for six months, and in the meantime Italy would try to reach an amicable agreement, and each Power should undertake for the time being not to start building any ships. The "Daily Herald" says Mr Mac Donald is considering the proposal. MR F. BRITTEN'S DEMAND. . VANCOUVER, March 25. An official Government statement expressing optimism concerning the outcome of the Naval Conference, was followed to-day by a statement from the chairman (Jar F. Britten) of the House Naval Affairs Committee, advocating the withdrawal of the United States delegation,. and blaming the British Admiralty jfor what he called the failure of the Conference. WITHDRAWAL OF DELEGATES. MR BRITTEN'S DEMAND. (Received March 26th, 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 25. Mr Britten stated that the Conference had "blown up." He suggested that the American delegates should be recalled and indicated that there was no prospect of a three Power agreement, and even an Anglo-Ameri-can treaty would not be permitted by the British Admiralty. . Mr Britten said that the best interests of the American Navy railed for a complete adjournment now, "while the verv life and continuation of the MaoDonald Government might depend upon a recess rather than a fiasco. He stated that a six months' recess would mean "continued arbitrary dominion of the seas by Britain. In any further European emergency the British Navy will repeat its indefensible

unlawful world war attacks _ upon all neutral commerce and American interests would suffer serious losses, probably confiscation by London prize courts. The American public should not be beguiled into the belief that Italy and France were responsible for the latest fizzle." PROGRESS BEING MADE. AN AMERICAN CLAIM. LONDON, March 25. Though the Naval Conference adjournment proposal is condemned completely, both in the Quai d'Orsay and in the Paris Press, the view being that Franco-Italian agreement is as unlikely six months hence as now, the American delegation to-night insisted that more progress was being made in the direction of a five-Power agreement than has yet appeared outwardly. M. Briand has definitely decided to return to London to-morrow, and this is considered as offering the olive branch to Great Britain.