GERMANY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 146, 14 March 1908, Page 5

GERMANY.

. —a . REPORTED NORTH. SEA CONVENTION. NAVAL POWER. BY TELEGEArn —MESS ASSOCIATION—COrYEIGnI London, March 12. Tho "Daily Graphic" states that Great Britain and Germany aro agreed on tho main lines of a North Sea Convention, which "will soon bo'roacjy for signaturo. " Tho . Times's " military correspondent states that his calculated indiscretion was one of tho main determining causes of Mr. Asquith (Chancellor of tho Exchequer) making a clear, emphatic announcement on naval policy. NORTH SEA AND BALTIC. Tho Berlin correspondent of the "Standard," in a message dated January.3o, explains clearly tho different sots of negotiations that aro in progress concerning the Baltic and tlio North Sea. He writes r— . "In view of the prevailing confusion caused by the circulation of contradictory reports of the negotiations regarding the future of the Baltic and North Seas, the following authoritative statements of the facts of the case may remove existing misapprehensions. Three different sets of negotiations, or, rather, informal conversations between the Baltic and North Sea Powers, are now proceeding side by side. First, negotiations aro proceeding between Russia, on the one hand, and France and Great Britain on tho other, for tho purpose of cancelling the special" Convention concluded on March 30, 1856, which prevents Russia from fortifying tho Aland Islands, and from maintaining naval or military establishments on them. ; Russia, Franco,, and Great Britain aro the only Powers signatory to this Convention, consequently tho negotiations on this .'question aro confined exclusively to them. Germany has.no share' in them. . /, "Simultaneously with theso negotiations between Russia, Franco,.and Great Britain, another . informal exchange of views it proceeds ing between those countries whoso .territories, aro adjacent to the Baltic, namely, Germany, Russia, Sweden, and" Denmark, for tho purpose of bringing about a mutual guarantee, of tho territorial' status, quo. Theso informal conversations between the four Baltic Countries have not yet led to any definite result. Great Britain is kept full informed regarding tlioiT progress. Third, an informal exchango oi views lias taken place between London anu 'Berlin regarding a similar,mutual guarantee of tho territorial status quo among tho. North Sea Powers, namely, Great Britain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, find Denmark. . "Tho .Anglo-German diplomatic conversations, have just been begun. Tlie position at present is that the British Government have signified their general approval.,of the principle of the proposed mutual guarantee, and their readiness to discuss' details. It is not true that the oxact terms or scope of tho proposed declaration regarding tho maintenance of the status quo aroun.d tho North Sea have been .elaborated."

Tho only apparent lcoy to the meaning, ol the remark of "Tho Times" corresnondenl is the. message cabled from London on March 9 ; stating'" A correspondent, a . recognises authority, in a letter to 'Tho Times,' implies that-Lord Twecdmouth (First Lord of the Ail miralty) sent the Kaiser ~an advance copj of tho Navy Estimates, before their presentation to Parliament.'" Presumably, this implication, ponstitutes the "calculated .indiscretion."'.