ON WITH BUSINESS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 57, 8 March 1930, Page 9

ON WITH BUSINESS

FAVOURABLE ATMOSPHERE

OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK

British Official Wireless. (Received Bth March, noon!)'

RUGBY, 7th March.

The work of tho Naval Conference was formally resumed at St. James's Palace this morning, when the heads of delegations surveyed the whole ground and displayed a determination to press on with the work as quickly as possible. The atmosphere of the Conference is favourable for such an advance. Sis weeks ago, when it began, those attending the Conference were freely discussing whether the limitation of the sizo of capital ships and the reduction of their gun calibres could be achieved. The tendency in authoritative. British circles now is to take for granted that, if all goes well, thero will be uo need for building new capital ships beforo 1936. QUICKER SCRAPPING. Again, a quicker scrapping programme than was envisaged by the Washington Treaty is now contemplated. A definite advance in tho work of the Conference is also marked by tho removal of the question of the rival global and category methods of limitation from tho realm of controversy. The compromise on this subject is set out in the experts' report and embodies a skeleton table of categories which went before heads of delegations to-day. The report was in most respects approved. A communique issued after the meeting said: "Two closely related questions wore referred back to tho First Committee for further examination in tho light of to-day's discussion, and a few remaining matters not settled by the report were deemed to be easier to arrange after an agreement had been reached in regard to figures." ' SMALLER VESSELS. This afternoon the First Committee accepted the experts' report of the vessels not subject to limitation, and it is now ready for submission to a plenary session. A committee has iv effect adopted tho draft regulations drawn up at Geneva, subject to two changes, namely, the proposed speed limit of vessels exempt has been increased from eighteen to twenty knots, and to the list of exempted vessels has been added small seaplane carriers equipped with apparatus for launching not moro than throe seaplanes. pu the question of special yessels

which lie outside the proposed categories and are not exempt vessels the report of experts was in general accepted by the First Committee, but beforo it can bo sent on there will be further discussion as to whether or not the itonnage of special vessels should bo reckoned in the total tonnage allotted to powers. Another matter for further discussion is as to what category future aircraft carriers which fall below the level of existing aircraft carriers and are larger than exempt seaplane carriers should be placed.