THE EBB AND FLOW OF WORLD AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 220, 13 June 1936, Page 11

THE EBB AND FLOW OF WORLD AFFAIRS

Naval Conversations

(By

Argus.)

Naval conversations are at present In progress between Britain and Russia and Britain and Poland. When tbe recent London Treaty was signed on March 25. it was agreed that efforts should be made to induce other Powers to sign. The present signatories are Britain and Empire countries, excepting the Irish Free State and South Africa, which have no navies, France and tlie United States, However, it is thought probable that several other Powers may ultimately sign. Negotiations have been conducted with Germany and it is felt that Italy may come in when sanctions ar e lifted. Poland's navy, of course, is not a very large one. The Polish corridor provides access to the sea and she possesses a river flotilla of six small gunboats and two ocean-going gunboats of 500 tons, built in Finland. Two destroyers and three submarines were completed over a year ago in French yards. Poland also has five former German torpedoboats and four minesweepers. Several further ships are building. Messrs. J. S. White, Cowes, are constructing two destroyers which, it is claimed, will be the largest and fastest of their class ever built in England. They will displace 2200 tons and have a designed speed of 39 knots, with an armament of seven 4.7 in. guns and six 21in. torpedo tubes. Two submarines and a minelayer are being built, in France, and a third submarine is authorised. Four trawler minesweepers are being built in Poland. Poland’s Port. Talk of Poland’s navy leads on to Poland’s port—Gdynia. Poland, naturally. has not had a port for very long. Soon after the country regained its independence at the close of the Great War it was invaded by Soviet forces which were ultimately driven back. During the course of the conflict, however, as Danzig was not in Polish i>ossession, the Poles decided to have a port of their own at Gdynia, 12 miles north of Danzig. Since then the Poles have proceeded to develop Gdynia with great energy and success, and it has been transformed from an unimportant little town to a port of some 35.000 people. Its trade has not only equalled but has exceeded that of Danzig. In 1933, 4355 vessels with a tonnage of 3,425.000 net registered tons and a cargo of 871,000 tons entered Gdynia, while the volume of goods exported through the port was 5,235.000 tons. In tbe same year 4278 vessels, aggregating 2.763,000 tons and carrying 483.000 tons of cargo, entered Danzig, while the volume of goods exported through Danzig was 4.660.000 tons. At the end of 1934 the Polish mercantile marine numbered 55 vessels of a gross tonnage of 64,358 tons, compared with Danzig’s 52 vessels with a tonnage of 274,00° tons Duce’s Portfolios. After having had almost all the important Italian portfolios concentrated in his charge for a long time Signor Mussolini lias now decided to relinquish three, those of Foriegn Affairs. Colonies and Corporations. It is also suggested that lie may shortly give up also the portfolios of War. the Navy and Air. This should relieve the Dnee of a great deal of administrative work without implying that there will be anj’ change so far as his direction of the country’s policy as a whole is concerned. Up till tlie change of a few days ago Signor Mussolini was Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Colonies, the Interior, War. the Navy, Air and Corporations, a list of titles that any Oriental potentate would have thought highly satisfactory. In fact, he held half the existing portfolios in Italy, and by far the more important half. Informative Tour. When, some two months ago, it became known in Europe that Sir Austen Chamberlain, a former British Foreign Minister and tbe moving spirit behind the Locarno Pacts was contemplating a visit to Central Europe, certain foreign capitals sat up and took notice, feeling that the visit might have some political significance. They were assured that Sir Austen was taking a purely private holiday and was going to see his old friend and former private secretary. Sir Walford Selby, British Ambassador at Vienna. However, at the conclusion of his stay the Vienna correspondent of “The Times" stated that what had begun as a purely private holiday had developed into an informative tour in the course of which he saw the leading persons of Austria. Hungary and Czechoslovakia Impressions of Austria. Since important events have recently been taking place in Austria Sir Austen’s impressions of conditions there are of interest. He is reported to have found the internal situation rather more stable than had seemed the case from a distance. He was able to ascertain that Central Europe is faced with more difficult problems than almost any part of the world, but did not lose the hope that, failing a general cataclysm, time and patience would solve them. Tn Austria he was understood to have received the impression of a civilisation that is essentially German, but has a culture of its own deriving from the long history and tradition of Vienna, a culture different from that of Berlin. He gained tbe feeling that though tho Austrians feel themselves Germans, it is as "Germans with a difference.” The kinship of race is strong but the Austrians want to live in their own country in their own way. If that were granted Sir Austen is understood to hold, there is no country with which they would sooner or more eagerly be friends tlmn with Germany.