NAVAL TALKS FAILURE

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 December 1934, Page 7

NAVAL TALKS FAILURE

OFFICIAL ADMISSION FUTURE POSSIBILITIES [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, December 19. The preliminary naval conversations were adjourned, to-day, at a meeting under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. A communique issued later stated:— “The conversations, which started last June and after the recess have been proceeding since October 23, and are agreed by representatives of all the three Governments to have served a useful purpose. Every aspect of the naval problem has been discussed between the parties frankly, fully and amicably. It was never the purpose of these preliminary conversations to reach any hard-and-fast conclusion. The sole purpose was to prepare the ground for future negotiation and agreement.

“The French and Italian Governments, also signatories to the present naval treaties and associated with the discussions in the summer, have been kept informed of all developments. Although the three Governments represented in these conversations were in favour of continuation of the naval limitation, with such reduction as can be agreed upon by all the Powers concerned, the principle and methods for achieving this in future remained to be determined. Now that the respective views have been made known and fully discussed, the conversations reached a stage where it was felt there should be an adjournment in order that delegates may resume personal contact with their Governments, and the resulting situation can be fully analysed and further considered. It has, therefore, been agreed to adjourn the conversations at this point. “Tho Governments concerned in the London conversations will keep in close touch with each other and with other Governments which are parties to the London and Washington treaties. The adjournment will also give His Majesty’s Government the opportunity for further consultation with the Governments of the Dominions. It is hoped that in view of the preparatory work accomplished, the conversations will so develop as to justify a subsequent meeting as soon as the opportune moment arrives. In that event, the Government of the United Kingdom, which invited the present conversations, will take appropriate steps. When the United States and Japanese delegates have returned home and consulted their Governments, it is assumed that communications through the normal diplomatic channels will take place, on some of the several projects which have been under discussion during the London conversations. Of these Substitute plans, one of which will probably be closely examined by the Powers in this way is understood to provide for a voluntary unilateral announcement regarding naval programmes for a period of years in advance. Although it is assumed that Japan will carry out her intention to give notice of the termination of the Washington Treaty, there is no inclination to regard such a step as ending the prospect of an agreement on some such jscheme, and the possibility is envisaged of the parties getting sufficiently close to acceptance to make it worth while to meet again. It is pointed out that in any event, denunciation must. b€V G S ar< led as a preliminary only for the conference next year, provided for in the treaty, which remains in force until 1936.

JAPANESE REJOICINGS [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] TOKIO, December 19. The Privy Council, of Japan has approved of the country’s renunciation of the Washington Naval Treaty. There was great rejoicings at this among the high naval authorities, who immediately radioed joyfully all of the commanders of squadrons and naval bases and the high naval authorities abroad, including Admiral Yayamoto, while Admiral Hirota informed M. Matsudaira and other Ambassadors’. A formal notification to Washington is expected about December 27. Japan’s Foreign Office spokesman said: “Japan is agreeable to the suspension of the London conversations, but she desires to see the date of the resumption fixed.”

BRITAIN’S POCKET SUBMARINE 1 (Rec. December 20, 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 19. The “Daily Telegraph’s” naval writer says: The Shark, Britain’s pocket submarine, costing a quarter of a million is undergoing trials in the Channel. It is barely two hundred feet, and displaces 670 tons. For a rapid diving type it is unsurpassed. It can perform a crash dive in thirty seconds. The craft has six tubes discharging twentyone-inch torpedoes, so the salvo would disable any battleship afloat. The Shark is equipped with wireless, and the escape tube carries four officers and thirty men.