PLAN OF LIMITATION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 54, 5 March 1930, Page 9

PLAN OF LIMITATION

TONNAGE OR CATEGORY?

COMPROMISE PROPOSALS

British Official Wireless. (Received sth March, 1 p.m.)

KUGBY, 4th March,

The French Ambassador, M. de Fleuriau, attended a meeting of the heads of delegations to the Naval Conference which was held at St. James's Palace this morning. When the meeting was arranged last week it was hoped the French delegation would by now be in London, and that to-day's meeting would bo able to consider the report of the Experts Committee on the methods of ascertaining the naval tonnag^ of the Powers represented at the Conference. The report of the scheme for establishing a series of categories of ships, which is regarded as a compromise between the British proposal to limit tonnage by categories and the French proposal .that there should be limitations by global tonnage, allowing freedom for apportionment as between the different classes of ships. The experts recommend as tho main categories: battleship, aeroplane carriers, cruisers mounting guns of more than 6in calibre, cruisers with guns of 6in or less, destroyers and submarines. In the case of France and Italy the classes of light cruisers an ddestroyors are to be reckoned as a single category. ' The exports' report on vessels exempt from inclusion in any category is also complete, and since the last formal meeting of the heads of delegations the experts have made good progress in the examination of questions regarding special ships. Certain questions of principle, however, have been reserved for decision by the heads of delegations, Tho problem of determining tho measures to be taken to carry out the unanimous desire of all delegations to humanise the operations of the submarine in war is still under intent consideration. Certain questions in connection with the problem were considered yesterday by the British Commonwealth delegations.