EXTRA EDITION LATE NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 16, 21 July 1921, Page 8

EXTRA EDITION LATE NEWS

NAVAL DEFENCE

DISCUSSION AT CONFERENCE

AN ANGRY PRIME MINISTER.

(UNITF.P PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPTP.ICIIT.) (AUSTRALIAN • NfiW ZEALAND CAULK ASSOCIATION.) (Received July 21, 2.30 p.m.) . LONDON,' 20th July. During the discussion ou naval defence at the Imperial' Conference, Mr. W. M. Hughes pointed out that the Dominions paid nothing towards the Navy now. The Monroe Doctrine and th-a League of Nations did not provide .-Hiffioient guarantees at present. If the Dominions sheltered under the Navy they should be prepared to accept a, share of the cost. General Smuts said the position of his country was most difficult; it was like Canada, which contained a large leaven of French. South Africa was not a homogeneous nation. Mr. Hughes jokingly remarked that tho same could be said of Australia, that it was Sinn Fein. He -was prepared to swap two Sinn Feiners for one Dutchman. The discussion centres round an Em,pire Navy, the Pacific not Being specifically dealt with. The position has not been reached when one can say whether the approved scheme will cost Australia more or less than the Henderson programme. Once a larger plan is decided upon tentatively, the Pacific proposals will bs dealt with in detail. 'It must be clearly understood that land defence has not been mentioned at all to-day. Mr. Lloyd George was intensely angry when he called i'or figures from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but was presented with an argument. He flung the document on the table' as usp.'.ess, declaring that he wanted facts, so that delegates would evolve their own views from them.