DISARMAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 1 July 1927, Page 5

DISARMAMENT

THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.

• . i; NO OFFICIAL NEWS,

journalists guessing. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. LONDON, June 2,9. In the absence of an authoritative announcement of any agreement at the Geneva Conference, foreign journalists, notably Americans, are indulging in the wildest guessing. The latest canard is that Japan is bargaining for its support of Britain’s capital ships policy, provided Japan is allowed to raise the question of the Singapore base. There is the fullest justification for saying that Japan lias not the slightest intention of directly raising the Singapore question, though perhaps the mention thereof will inevitably crop up when America claims equaiity with Britain in cruisers, on the ground that she needs more because she does not possess a chain of bases like Britain, including Singapore. The technical committee to-day exchanged views oil destroyers, on which there is seemingly a considerable measure of agreement. FRIENDLY SPIRIT EXISTS. DISCUSSION OVER DESTROYERS. LONDON, June 29. Messrs. Gibson and Jones corroborated the Dominion representatives, who declared that conversation on the major question were marked by the most friendly spirit. Mr. Jones explained that America’s present preponderance in destroyers l was due to feverish war time building at the behest of the Allies to counter U boats. He called attention to the conflicting figures of cruiser strength. As an instance. Admiral Field last week stated that the Japanese proposal gave Britain 62. America 15, and Japan 29. This was based on Japan’s proposed age limit, but tlie disparity was less marked if it included the older ships. Experts concerned say that it is not a quantitive limitation, but a common basis from which to embark on limitation. Everybody is mystified by the nature of the new Japanese instructions, but generally it is accepted that the question of capital ships will not arise till an agreement on the smaller types is reached.