BRITISH NAVAL POLICY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 256, 28 July 1927, Page 9

BRITISH NAVAL POLICY

DEFENCE OF SEA , COMMUNICATIONS CABINET COMMITTEE CONSIDERS TECHNICAL DETAILS MERITS OF CASE EMERGING FROM CONFUSION The British Cabinet Committee has given further consideration to questions raised in the report of the principal delegates to the Naval Conference at Geneva, and the Cabinet Council has been summoned to considei’ the Results of these discussions. The report that the British Ambassador at Washington has been instructed to protest against the Anti-British misrepresentation is denied in official circles, who, state that the merits of the British case are emerging from the fog" in which the United States Press originally placed -them. By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.

~ . Rugby, July 26. For several hours yesterday the Committee of the Cabinet was engaged in a close and detailed consideration of questions raised in the report given : at Friday's Cabinet Council by the. principal British delegates to the Geneva Naval Limitation Conference. Britain’s minimum naval requirements for the protection- of sea communications—involving, in particular, the protection of approximately 80,000 miles of Empire communications, upon which' at almost, any time nine and a half million tons of British'ships, with an individual tonnage exceeding three thousand tohs, are engaged—were fully examined. The importance of this purely defensive side of British naval policy is emphasised ■by the fact ; that much of the trade thus borne is in foodstuffs, of which Britain never has sufficient to last her population for more than seven weeks, while the remainder is necessary for the economic welfare of the Empire. The technical details upon which the British . proposals to'the Conference are based were again closely discussed in relation to various demands advanced at Geneva, and “The Times” says that the possibilities of compromise were reviewed, and suggestions for securing at least provisional agreement were considered. The Cabinet Council has been summoned- for to-day to consider the results of these discussions. The Government has been concerned to avoid any precipitate steps, and will probably take full advantage of the present opportunity to dissipate misunderstandings, and to leave no doubt whatever either concerning its earnest desire for agreement on , disputed issues, or the vital naval, needs, of the British Empire. The First Lord of the Admiralty, the Hon. W. C. Bridgeman, and Viscoutit Cecil, the chief British delegates to the Naval Limitation Conference,'' .were to have returned to Geneva today, but postponed their departure pending the completion of . considerafetion by Cabinet of the issues raised ,by •various proposals before the Conference. The third . British delegate, Admiral Sir Frederick Field, who "was .forced to remain at Geneva, owing to illness, travelled to London yesterday, ■- and was at once removed to Chatham Nival Hospital.- Rear-Admiral Pound, Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff, will take his place at Geneva. In the House of Commons to-day the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Winston Churchill, stated that it was the i intention of the Government that

a statement on the Naval Conference should be made either to-morrow or on Thursday.—British Official' Wireless. NO REPRESENTATIONS FROM CANADA Ottawa', July 26. Canada lias made no representations to Great Britain in respect of the dispute at Geneva. \ REPORTED PROTEST NOT CONFIRMED Rugby, July 26. Nothing is known in official quarters in London of a newspaper report that the British Ambassador at Washington has lodged a protest with the United States Government against the misrepresentation of the British proposals for naval disarmament and misquotations ! of official statements on the subject Which have appeared in United States newspapers. It, indeed, appears, from ' more recent Press telegrams, that the aims of British naval policy are beginning to be more fairly dealt with in the United States.—British Official Wifeless. MERITS OF BRITISH CASE ' EMERGING . 7.7 /(Rec. July 27, 7.50 p.m.) London, July 26. Official" circles deny that Sir Esme Howard has been instructed to protest against the anti-British misrepresentation in America. They state that the merits of the British case at Geneva are gradually emerging, from the fog and confusion in which the United States Press originally placed them. RELIEF AT- GENEVA ', AT NEWS OF RETURN OF BRITISH DELEGATES- -V Geneva, July 26. The news that Mr. Bridgeman and Viscount Cecil, the chief British delegates, are returning on Wednesday, was received with satisfaction in Japanese and American circles, where there has been the greatest uneasiness over the prolonged absence of the British Delegation in Londop.