BATTLESHIP HOLIDAY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 9

BATTLESHIP HOLIDAY

BRITISH PROPOSAL PLEASES

British Official Wireless.

(Eeceived 18th January, 11 a.m.)

RUGBY, 17th January. Considerable attention, which, in Britain at least, is highly favourable, is being given to a proposal on which the British Government hopes to secure an agreement prolonging the life of existing battleships until the next rovisiou of naval armaments'in five or sis years' time. The Government desires also to secure an agreement at once that when that time comes new battleships built to replace those which will then bo out of date—if it is still, thought necessary to replace them—should bo of smaller tonnage and gun power. A proposal much to tho same effect was mado by the late Conservative Government at tho Geneva Conference, and met with a hopeful reception. Lord Bridgemau estimated that, if it had been adopted, it would have meant a saving of about £50,000,000 in tho period of replacement. "The Timeß" says: "No doubt the

reductions advocated can hardly bo as sweeping as both tho economists aiid an important section of navaj opinion would hopo to see them. The British Government is rightly sensitive to the danger of bringing forward too drastic proposals which might wreck al} oliance of agreement. But after the long years, during which through unrestricted competition the sizo and cost of every class of warship has soared continuously upward, an agreement to reverso tho process at all would be a very welcome achievement."