NAVAL STRENGTHS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 6, 2 October 1929, Page 11

NAVAL STRENGTHS

MR. MACDONALD’S MISSION

ARRANGEMENTS FOR NEW YORK WELCOME WAY CLEAR FOR LONDON CONFERENCE (United Press Assoclation.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Australian Press Association. (Rec. October 1, 9.25 p.m.) New York, October 1. Mr. H. L. Stimson (Secretary of State). Sir Esme Howard (British Ambassador), and other notables will meet Mr. MacDonald and P»riy here on Friday morning, escorting the visitors to the City Hall, where Mr. MacDonald will receive a key of the city, after which they will depart for Washington by special train. An elaborate programme of ‘ unc “' es and dinners hne been arranged for Mr. MacDonald’s stay in New York from October 11 to 13. v ix He leaves for Canada on October 14.

WAY CLEAR FOR CONFERENCE DIFFICULTIES REGARDING FRANCE Australian Press Association. (Rec. October 1, 7.15 p.m.) London, September 80. A wireless message from the Berengaria says final communications have been received from the Dominions regarding the questions upon which will depend invitations to the Five-Power Naval Conference. The way is now clear for invitations to delegates to attend a conference at London in midJanuary. The “Dally Express” special correspondent aboard the Berengaria understands one of the difficulties Mr. MacDonald and President Hoover have to meet is the new French claim. For the purposes of naval tonnages .her colonies will rank equal with the British Dominions. Furthermore, France wants the same Mediterranean strength as Italy, which is concentrating on fast cruisers.

EXCEPTIONAL WORLD INTEREST

WIDER INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING

(British Official Wireless.)

Rugby, September 30. The Prime Minister’s journey to the United States as a sequel to the naval con rsations with the American Ambassador, General Dawes, is being watched witn exceptional interest not only in this country, but in other countries also. From the comments in the European Press, it is evident that the Prime Minister’s statement on leaving England in which is emphasised the “wider international understanding” to which it is now necessary to bring the negotiations regarding naval disarmament, has had reassuring effect. This is likely to be strengthened by a reference to the subject in his message to the Labour Party Conference, in which he declared that any Anglo-Ame-rican understanding could only be and was only intended to be preliminary to a larger agreement which must be reached in a conference with other naval Powers and dater on in the Preparatory Commission at Geneva. The annual Labour Party Conference at Brighton to-day sent the following wireless message to Mr. MacDonald on the Berengaria :—“All your friends at the annual conference reciprocate your greetings and assure you of our continued confidence in your leadership so strikingly justified by our recent victories. We wish you ■ and Miss Ishbel a happy and pleasant time, and desire you to convey to the American President and the nation he represents our gratification at the wholehearted manner in which they are seeking to co-operate in the great task of promoting international arrangements and so securing a peaceful and peace-loving world.”