WORLD’S ARMAMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 August 1934, Page 7

WORLD’S ARMAMENTS

A GENERAL INCREASE. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] GENEVA, August 28. An increase of sixty-one millions sterling in tho armament estimates of Japan, Russia and the United States is revealed in the League of Nations Armament Year Book, w’hich show's the tension existing in the Far East. Australia has also budgeted for a million more for armaments than in 1933-34. Germany’s increase in the armamentbudget is seventeen millions sterling, though the Versailles Treaty forbids her to have larger armaments. Britain has increased her armament outlay to five millions, apart from her new air force estimates.

JAPAN’S NEW SCHEME. TOKIO, August 29. The Foreign Offide Spokesman revealed that Japan will present at the naval preliminary talks at London in October an entirely new scheme. It will be. one ‘ “in a spirit of disarmament and for the purpose of the curtailment of armaments,” and Japan hopes that the othei’ Powers will similarly submit fresh proposals, thereby enabling the working out of a mutually satisfactory* agreement. The Spokesman indicated that the Japanese scheme involves the supersession or the amendment of the Washington Pact, which, if the other Powers agree to it, will obviate Japan’s formal notice of the abrogation of the Treaty; but if they do not agree to it, then Japan must abrogate the Treaty. The chief Naval representative will be Rear-Admiral Isorku Yamamoto, who is arriving at London at the end of October. FRENCH NAVAL STRENGTH. PARIS, August 28. The Minister of Marine, M. Pietri, outlining France’s naval policy, stated that the foremost item is tho construction of a sister ship to the “Dunkerque,” which ship is to be named the “Strasbourg,” and it to be completed in 1938. He said: “I am a partisan for big naval units, but I am not confining myself to new buildings. I have ordered the complete transformation of three of the “Provence” class of battleships, the first of which will be ready for service in a few months. Other departments include a fouryear plan for the improving of the subterranean petrol depots, and of new land batteries on the Algerian and Moroccan costs.