HIDDEN AMBITIONS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 26 July 1927, Page 5

HIDDEN AMBITIONS

AMERICAN NAVAL SUPREMACY PARODOX OF DISARMAMENT. TRENCHANT FRENCH CRITICISM. BV CABLE -PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT Received 10.30 a.m. to-day. PARIS, July 25. “Le Journal” says editorially: ‘Tt is tragic, that .Britain stands alone, face to face- with an America whose braggart imperialism is no longer content with a fleet rivalling Japan’s, but must strive for supremacy over Britain. The. paradox of the campaign for disarmament lies .in the fact chat it dragged to the light of. day those ambitions, hitherto hidden beneath a mask of hypocritical pacificism.”

MOMENTOUS MEETING OF BRITISH CABINET.

CONSIDERING LIMITS OF BRITISH NAV AT> CON OIOSS ON'S.

LONDON, July 25.

The ‘‘.Daily TdlegiapliV’ diplomat'o cu-iespondent says that to-day s meeting of Cabinet ns ,momentous. The Ministers will have to make decisions cerining *tli© exact limits ot British concessions to the American and Japanese standpoints. it may be pointed cut that British c.'uiiser .squadrons in the Mediterranean have had to be gravely depleted in order to provide the /cruiser force required in the Pacific in older to cepe with the Chinese dangers. 'lthat is where the adoption of the •- 12 —12—8 ratio for large cruisens might threaten British naval security and the co.inmunieations of the Empire, unless a substantial surplus of small!, but not necessarily modern cruisers, is conceded to Britain.

Fortunately the Chinese crisis happened when there was no danger of war in Europe, otherwise the British fleet in the middle seas would have been unduly weak. American opinion has failed to realise this. The King had am audience with Mr. VY. C- Buidgeman. It is believed it was with reference to the Geneva, negotiations.