BRITAIN’S NAVY

Feilding Star, Volume 10, Issue 4033, 16 September 1933, Page 6

BRITAIN’S NAVY

Where Does It Stand IX THE EVENT OE WAR UTILITY IX PACIFIC COM MONWEAUTH RELATIONS A LIVELY DISCUSSION (Aust. and N.Z. Cable) Toronto, Sept. 14. A -discussion on the probabilities of another great war took place at the British Commonwealth Relations Conference to-day. The general topic was: What would happen to the British Commonwealth in the event of tin* breakdown or failure of the League of Nations and the present international cooperative system of maintaining peace? Some members doubted whether the Commonwealth could continue to exist and others were convinced that it could exist by making itself strong an 1 defending its resources. One of tin* most pessimistic speakers at the meeting contended that the world was not showing a tendency to divide up its naval spheres. Australia and New Zealand were clearly outside the British naval sphere and in the event of war coul 1 not receive adequate protection unless the European conditions were so iieaceful that the entire navy could be released for service in the Pacific. However, this possibility was unlikely, as Japan, for instance, would have better sense

than launch a conflict in the Pacific unless there was enough trouble in Europe to keep a good part of the Navy busy there-

A Canadian delegate assented that it was clearly in the interests of the Empire to make a success of the League ami tin* co-oi>crative metlio.l of settling international disputes.

Another Canadian asserted that Canaria secured more benefit from the Navy than many othe** nations and should pay a special premium for its support.