NAVY AND ARMS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 88, 13 March 1934, Page 7

NAVY AND ARMS

THE BRITISH POLICY. SEEKING A LIMITATION; PREPARATIONS FOR 1935. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received March 13, 11.10 a.m. RUGBY, March 12. Referring in the House of Commons to the building programme, the First Lord of the Admiralty (Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell) said the total cruiser tonnage to be laid down this year was 32,000 tons. This represented portion of the 86,350 tons available under the London Naval Treaty for the three years to inclusive, and was in accordance with a carefully considered Admiralty policy of replacement—to pursue a steady annual programme of construction.

Britain had made great reductions in her defences in the hope of bringing about a general limitation of armaments. It could be argued whether tills had been rightly or wrongly done, but they were still trying to bring about such a limitation, and it would be impossible for them on the eve of the 1935 Naval Conference largely to increase the building programme on the assumption that the conference was going to be a. failure. Moreover, Britain had already put forward proposals for quantitative limitations.

THE FRENCH NOTE. A DEBATE LIKELY. (British Official Wireless). Received March 13, 11.10 a.m. RUGBY. March 12. The attitude of the French Government on the British memorandum on disarmament, in the light of Mr It. A. Eden’s conversations at Berlin and Rome, is to be discussed in a Note which it is expected will reach London this week. It is, however, unlikely that the Note will be received before the debate commences in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Both Sir John Simon and Mr Eden will take part in the discussion. Disarmament will also be debated in the House of Lords.

The subject will doubtless be referred to again in the House of Commons debate ion the Navy Estimates and the Army Estimates on Thursday, although notice has been given that other matters connected with these services will be raised. FEDERAL DEFENCES.

PLAN FOR EXTENSION,

CANBERRA, March 12. It is learned here that the Commonwealth Government plans to spend £867,000 for defence purposes. Tins is the outcome of many months of negotiations between the Defence Department and London. Criticism of the existing defences caused the authorities to move to remedy the deficiencies.

Orders will soon be given for two modern 9.2 inch guns and others will follow. Experts are also giving attention to naval and air defence; £376,000 will be made available for the provision of seaplane equipment and plant. Provision for another cruiser for Australia is considered, certain if the disarmament negotiations collapse. Provision for the manufacture of anti-aircraft guns in Australia in case of emergency is another of the Government’s development plans, also the mechanisation of at least one unit of the military forces.