NEARING COMPLETION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 92, 19 April 1930, Page 7

NEARING COMPLETION

COMBINATION OF FLEETS SAFEGUARDING CLAUSE British Official Wireless. (Kecoivcd 19th April, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, 17th April. It is anticipated that tlie'draft Treaty resulting from the Naval Conference will be comploted within the next 48 hours. A summary will at once be telegraphed to the capitals, and it is hoped that replies will be received in time for the final drafting to. be completed by Tuesday morning, in which case the last plenary session will be held then, as provisionally arranged. This is entirely dependent on the time when the views of the Governments concerned are received in London. Yesterday's discussions between Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, Mr. Stimson, and Mr. Wakatsuki concerned the so-called safeguarding clause for insertion in that part of the Treaty signed by the three Powers they represent. Tho proposed clause followsl broadly a similar clause in the Washington Treaty, except that instead of a conference being summoned should any of the signatory Powers consider its own position jeopardised by the action of an outside Power, it is now proposed that there should be consultations through diplomatic channels, and that after duo notice tho Power affected by the accelerated building of an outside Power should- be entitled to increase its own programme. The clause was drafted and transmitted to Tokio for tho examination of the Japanese Government. NO SPECIAL FLEET IN MIND. In the House of Commons to-day, a member asked whether in the discussion of this safeguarding clause tho strength of the French and Italian "navies in combination was to be considered, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Snowden) replied that the clause would not be aimed at any special fleet, or combination of fleets. Asked whether in view of the Naval Agreement it was proposed to proceed with the new Singapore naval base, and especially with the facilities there for cloaking and repairing battleships, the First Lord of tho Admiralty (Mr. Alexander) said the. matter would require careful review in the light of the Treaty which the Government hoped would shortly bel concluded.