NAVY LIMITATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1927, Page 7

NAVY LIMITATIONS

REPLY TO MR. COOLIDGE “UTOPIA NOT YET HERE” (A.P.A. & Sun.) (By Cable—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, December 9. The first Ministerial comment on Mr Coolidge’s speech was made by Sir W. Joynson Hicks, who, speaking at Twickenham, said: “I do not complain. I adopt his words as mine. As he decided, it is well within his rights to build what he considers necessary for the people of America, so it is our duty to do what we consider right, without reference to the demands, wishes or intentions- of the other nations of the world. We have to realise that Utopia is not yet here.” GUNS ELEVATION. WASHINGTON, December 9. The House of Representatives voted in favour of elevating battleship guns, provided Mr Coolidge determines that it would not violate the Washington Arms Treaty. JAPANESE DOUBT SINCERITY TOKIO, December 9. Japanese newspapers generally express disappointment with Mr Coolidge advocating peace movements, while agreeing to a naval expansion programme, and charge him with insincerity. GERMANY’S NEW NAVY. (“Sydney Sun” Service.) LONDON, December 9. The “Daily Mail’s” Berlin \ correspondent says: Germany’s 1928 Naval Budget includes credit for £650,000 as the first instalment on a battleship, costing four millions. This will be the first of the series replacing the old capital ships of tho, high seas fleet. “Frankfurter Zeitung” points out that the Versailles Treaty forbids warships exceeding ten thousand tons, and urges Germany to concentrate . on small swift cruisers, instead of costly battleships.

PACIFIST M.P.’s LETTER. LONDON, December 8. Mr Ponsonby, M.P., has presented a Peace Letter to the Prime Minister, signed by 128,700 Britishers, setting out the following: “We hereby solemnly declare that we refuse support or to render war service to any Government which resorts to arms. Mr Ponsonby, in a letter of explanation, says: “Many of the petitioners are disillusioned ex-soldiers, and women who are determined that their children shall not be blown to atoms in purposeless slaughter. Our unusual message is a blunt, but simple, declaration —a signal «to the new and more enlightened patriotism of Britons not to shrink from necessary sacrifice, but to show their rooted objection and their heartfelt loathing for the inflicting by new diabolical methods of suffering, and death on innocent populations with whom we have no quarrel.” Mr-Baldwin has replied stating he would think the matter over carefully, in order that his reply might be more than a mere acknowledgement.