NAVAL STANDARDS

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 14 February 1930, Page 11

NAVAL STANDARDS

LATE EDITION

QUERIES IN COMMONS REASONS FOR VARIATION PRIME MINISTER’S REPLY. Received 1.45 p.m. to-day. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Feb. 13. In the House of Commons to-day the Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay ‘MacDonald, was as.ked by Mr Baldwin what were the naval standards in respect of cruiser® and what were the reasons for the variation by which the Admiralty would be; guided at the present time and which had led to a variation of those standards which were enforced by . the late Government and also- what ' was the programme of naval replacement construction which the Government considered necessary to sustain the approved standard during the next six years. Replying, Mr MacDonald said the decision to take the reduced number of 50 cruisers as the minimum required for our needs had been reached by taking the measure of security accorded by the signature to the. pact of Paris for the renunciation of war by most of the nations of the world including all naval powers, not only those who were members of the League, but also the United States. With such powerful support for the pact the Government felt justified in looking forward to a period in Avhich armed conflict need not be expected. The proposed' reduction in the number of cruisers to 50 was, of course, dependent on agreement at the Naval Conference and the limitation of projected building programmes being made by other powers. The programme of replacement must to a certain extent depend on t:•]>* value of the agreements which might be readied at the Naval Conference and it was not possible to state what they would be. JAPANESE MEMORANDUM. The Japanese delegation to-night issued a memorandum setting forth their views in the light of recent discussions. The memorandum expresses a desire to find a formula harmonising the global and category theories and Japan’s willingness to agree to the proposal that no more ships shall be laid before 1936. She agreed that battleships should be reduced from 35,000 tons to 25,000 tons with a maximum gun calibre of 14 inches and also favours an increase in their age limit from 20 to 26 years. As regards aircraft carriers she proposes that all such vessels, no matter of what tonnage, shall be subject to limitation. The limitation imposed by the Washington Treaty applied only to aircraft carriers of over 19,000 tons. The age limit of these vessels when over 10,000 tons she proposed to increase from 20 to 26 years, that for all other types being 20 years. Japan attaches great importance to the eightrineh gun cruiser aijd need® a number of such vessels for her own protection, but is willing to reduce this according to the number possessed bv other nations. Flotilla leaders and destroyers should also be limited. The age limit for cruisers should be 20 years and that for destroyers 16 years, r Regarding submarines Japan will cooperate with the- other powers in strict-l ly regulating their use against merchant vessels. She favours a level of 78,000 tons, limiting the .size of these craft and fixing their age at 13 years ' * I SUBMARINE ABOLITION. ENGLISH PRESS COMMENT. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY Feb. 12. Commenting on yesterday’s suhma-i----ine discussion, “The Times” says: “There is an unanswerable force in the argument that the only way to humanise the submarine is to abolish it, but even so it would be something gained if definite rules are framed destricting its use. Even to an unscrupulous Power the existence of a definite, code embodied in a formal treaty would be a deterrent. Before violating it, it would find warning in the experience of Germany, remembering, as Mr. Sftimson reminded the Conference, that it was the threat of unrestricted submarine warfare which brought the United States into the war.”

The ‘'Manchester Guardian” says: “If it were 'proposed to abolish, the ocean-going submarine, not because it is a submarine, but because it is an offensive weapon, the suggestion ought not to l offend any Power which demands the submarine as -a vita] defensive weapon let its size he reduced to suit its character. There is a second point. Are not these swollen submarine forces ranging from the 127 boats of the United” States to the 57 of Italy to be heavily reduced?”

The “Daily Telegraph” thinks that something will be gained by the declaration of the French, Italian and Japanese delegates of their desire to enter into an international undertaking such ns has not hitherto been formally completed, to use submarines against merchant shinping in strict conformity with the rules observed in surface warfare. But with the dismissal! of the proposal of abolition goes the prospect of effecting invaluable economy, and of diminishing by much the danger that lies in all extensive developments of armaments.