NAVAL CONFERENCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 118, 15 April 1930, Page 7

NAVAL CONFERENCE

PLENARY SESSION HELD. REPORTS ADOPTED. EXPERTS DRAFTING TREATY. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received April 15, 11.50 a.m. LONDON, April 14. A plenary session of the Naval Conference was held to-day. The session adopted for the guidance of the drafting experts nine separate reports covering the conference’s work. The proceedings were singularly uninformative, Mr Ramsay MacDonald just giving sufficient idea of each report to enable tho delegates to identify the subject., ” Mr MacDonald admitted that there were so many reservations which would be found recorded in their proper places that the best thing was merely to adopt the reports, which would be published to-morrow. Tho conference unanimously agreed to this proceeding. The experts will have to work hard to get tlie treaty ready for signing by April 22. SINGAPORE NOT DISCUSSED. STATEMENT BY AIR WILFORD. Received April 15, 10.5 a.m. LONDON, April 14. Mr T. M. Wilford, K.C.,.was asked to comment on tho Naval Conferjmee conclusions. The New Zealand High Commissioner said that he had nothing to say at present, but Singapore was never discussed, and was never used as a bargaining factor during the whole of the conference. v VESSELS TO BE SCRAPPED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBi’ April 14. It is understood that the draft implementing the agreement regarding capital ships provides that the British Empire will scrap the Marlborougn, Emperor of India, Benbow and Tiger. '1 wo of these vessels will be rendered unfit for warlike service within twelve months of the ratification .of the treaty, and finally scrapped within twenty-four months. The other two ships will be rendered unfit within eigiiteen months and finally scrapped within thirty months of ratification. Tho United States will scrap tlie ships Florida and Utah. One will Le rendered unfit for warlike service within twelve months of ratification of tho treaty, and finally scrapped within twenty-four months, and the other will be rendered unfit within eighteen months of ratification and finally scrapped within thirty months. The following ships are to be retained for training purposes—namely, United States, Arkansas; British Empire, Iron Duke; Japan, Hiyei. These ships will be rendered useless for warlike service’ within twelve months of tho treaty in the cases of .the United States and the British Empire, and within eighteen months in tlie case of Japan. The jurists deputed to draft the treaty were busily engaged all yesterday. They were assisted by a committee ,of experts under the chairmanship of Sir Maurice Hankey. Sec-retary-Gener.al of tho Conference. , The Conservative Daily Telegraph states: “Among ourselves there is virtual unanimity in welcoming the substantial achievement of a Three-Power Treaty; and there is • general agreement, n<Jt less heartfelt if not so openly expressed, in all quarters on the point that we ought all to bo thankful for escapo from those grave complications with which the country was threatened while the ‘political discussions’ of the past few weeks were in progress.” ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES. In a speech at Sheffield, Mr A. V. Alexander, First Lord of, the Admiralty, thought that the greatest value of the measures of agreement already secured was to be found in the helpful moral effect created in support of a general move to disarmament and peace. There were also valuable economic advantages. For the period of tlie agreement the most importunt thing for 'this country was the avoidance of expenditure which would have had to be incurred in laying down new replacement battleships under the Washington Treaty. This would have in.volved an expenditure of at least £60,000,000 up to 1936. In addition, w.e should make a saving of over £4,000,000 in maintenance charges in respect of five battleships, which are to be prematurely scrapped. In the case of cruisers it was not possible to give the figure, but ho might indicate the general position by saying that when the Government came into office last year they found 63 cruisers built, building and authorised in connection with a programme which aimed at the general goal ’of sixty under age cruisers and ten over age, or seventy in all. Under ,the present agreement the maximum number of cruisers would be fifty. During the whole of the period of the agreement up to 1936 the savings would certainly be many millions. ’ I FRANCE AND ITALY. It is officially explained that France and Italy the right to build the capital ships to which they are entitled under the Washington Treaty. Japan raised the question of transference, upwards or downwards, of 15 per cent, of light cruiser and destroyer tonnage. This was referred to the heads of. the delegations. NAVAL CHANGES. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 14. ■Vice-Admiral Sir Ernie Chatfield has been appointed Admiral of the Fleet in succession to Admiral Sir Hugli Watson, who has been placed on iho retired list at his own request. Ho was Earl Beatty’s flag captain during the war, and was present at tlie battle of Heligoland, Dogger Bank and Jutland.