WASHINGTON

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 77, 1 April 1922, Page 9

WASHINGTON

THE CONFERENCE AND ITS

RESULTS

(For The Post.)

[By Captain E. O. Mousley, Secretary for New Zealand to the Washington Conference.] On my return to New- Zealand, after eleven years of study, travel, and service abroad, I have been re- j quested to say something of the Washington Conference and of my general impressions. As my duties at . Washington included those of Publicity Officer, I have been accorded permission to do so. The data has already been given to the press. "While ratification of the various Treaties is pending, a non-controver-sial point of view will perhaps be excused.—E.O.M. ■ V. v ' | NAVAL PROPOSAL. j The proportion of reduction proposed was roughly 40 per cent, of the navies of the United States, British Empire, and Japan. This percentage of reduction, however, was not applied to the fleets of France and Italy, which have been left undeveloped for some years. The United States retains eighteen capital -ships, the British-Empire twenty-two, and Japan, France, and Italy ten each. The total tonnage of capital ships allowed to the foregoing Powers in the order given was 5, 5, 3, 1.75, 1.75 respectively. AVith certain special exceptions rendered necessary by discrepancy between the fleets in point of modernity, the Contracting Powers agree during tho duration of the Treaty to ■ construct no further capital ships. Existing ships, when the age-limit, is reached, may be replaced, the maximum limit being set to a. capital ship at 35,000 tons, and the gun calibre at 16 inches. In the case of the British Empire, the first replacement be-, gins in 1931, and is to be completed in 1934. The replacement table set out in the Treaty gives the ships which are to be destroyed immediately, and also in the future when the age limit.is reached. It gives the date of replacement by a new ship, both as to when it may be. laid down and when completed. The exception to the rule that no building of capital ships except by replacement shall proceed during the duration of the Treaty refers to the arrangement rendered necessary by Japan retaining the Mutsu, commissioned a few days before the Conference started, and' the only battleship afloat embodying the lessons of Jutland, which the Hood only partly ombodies. By this arrangement, the United States is allowed to complete two ships which" when completed two other ships on the list of those to be retained by her are to be destroyed. The British Empire builds two new battleships not exceeding 35,000-tons, on the completion of which four ships are to be destroyed. This provision will enable us also to embody the lessons of Jutland, and for this ■ purpose none of the four Hoods, at pre- ( sent being laid down, can be utilised, as their contemplated tonnage was about 48,000 tons. The object of the 35,000 tons restriction was to prevent competition in size of capital ships similar _to what has taken place in the construction of leviathans of the: mercantile marine. NAVAL HOLIDAY. The above arrangement minimises a difficulty inherent in the idea of a naval holiday. The Royal Navy stands for a great tradition, high, discipline, and organisation, and it is only through this accumulated disposition of hundreds of years that the Royal Navy is what it is. These factors relate not only to the Fleet itself, but to the general arrangements of the Admiralty for construction—personnel of dockyards, armament plants, etc. A naval holiday for fifteen years would have meant a great break in con- ; tinuity, which would have been seriously I felt when tho holiday was over. While the idea of a naval holiday has been preserved, the design of the Treaty is towards rendering the limitation of armament as permanent as possible even beyond the holiday. AUXILIARY CRAFT. This covers ■'everything not a capital ship or an aircraft carrier. As a result of the Conference being unable to reach an agreement on the problem of the abolition of submarines, the construction of auxiliary craft is left unrestricted, except for certain limitations, that is to say, must neither exceed 10,000 tons or carry a gun, over six inches. If these limitations are exceeded an auxiliary vessel o£ war would be classed as a capital ship, and therefore related to the replacement table. From the point of view of the British Empire, the importance of this freedom from restriction in the construction of auxiliary craft cannot be over emphasised while the submarine menace continues. The limitation of naval armament necessarily ■■ cuts into tlie conception of the great battle fleets and self-contained combative units for operation on the high seas, but in the opinion of our naval experts our security has not been diminished. Merchant ships may still be armed, but careful provisions exist in the Treaty to prevent merchant ships in time of peace from being prepared for the installation of warlike armaments or for the purpose of converting such ships into vessels^ of war, other than- the necessary stiffening of decks for the mounting of guns not exceeding six inches calibre. The provision limiting auxiliary craft to 10,000 tons does not apply to vessels not specifically built as fighting ships, but employed on fleet duties, such as troop transports. Care has been taken in the Treaty to prevent a State from having j. its replacement ship almost complete, and at the same time .possessing the old ship practically intact with, for example, only a few "fittings removed, which would have left two ships available to the Power in case of war—a useful contribution to the provisions of the Treaty by the New Zealand Delegation, which discovered that the final draft of the Treaty had,.in the' course of alteration, dropped the vital distinction between " beginning to scrap " and the " first stage of scrapping." CONSTRUCTION. There is an important provision by which Contracting Powers agree not to sell or dispose of any vessel of war in such a manner that the vessel may become a vessel of war in the navy of any 1 foreign Power. The right to construct for a foreign Power, however, is retained so long as the limitation in size of tonnage and guns required by the Treaty for any vessel of war belonging to the Power constructing the ship is observed. Technical provisions ensure that the scrapping or demolition shall be thoroughly carried out and prevent the reconversion of other craft into vessels o£ war. Aircraft tonnage is limited as follows:— / ■ ■ United States ............. 135,000 British Empire ..-. 135,000 France ..: 60,000 llalv 60,000 •Japan 31,000 • The tonnage of mi aircraft carrier itself is limited 'to 27.000 tons, with this provision, "i.osvcvurj dial eacii Contracting I-'o'A-ci' may have not inoro thun two aircraft carriers not exceeding 33^000 tons.

This was done to facilitate the utilisation of certain ships on the scrapped list, which is allowed by special provision. EFFECT OF WAR ON THE TREATY. Article XXII. provides that when any Contracting Power is engaged in war;. I which, in its opinion, affects the naval defence of its own security, such Power may, on notice to the other Contracting Powers, suspend for the war its obligations under the Treaty, except that even in the case of war it is not free to utilise among its forces any vessel of war under construction for another Power, o:' any other ship "scrapped" under the Treaty. On receipt of this notice, the remaining Contracting Powers agree to consult together (not necessarily to holcl a conference) with a view to agreement as to what temporary . modification, if any, should be made in the Treaty as between themselves. If such consultation does not produce agreement, any of the Contracting Powers may, by giving notice, also suspend its obligations during the war, and on the cessation of hostilities the Contracting Powers agree to meet in conference to consider what modifications should be made in the provisions of 'the Treaty. That is to say, that every effort has been made to keep the.Treaty alive even, if possible, during a Avar. The duration of the Treaty is for fifteen years, provided notice to terminate shall have been given two years before the fifteen years are up. Within one year of the date on which notice of termination by any Power has taken effect, all the Contracting Powers agree to meet in conference. Article XXI. allows for the possibility of any vast, political change or development "in invention which would render the definite obligations under the Treaty irksome to any Contracting Power unless amended, and in any case a conference of all the Contracting Powers is definitely arranged to be convened as soon as possible after eight years to consider what amendments, if any, may be necessary to meet auy interim scientific or technical development.