DISARMAMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2005, 22 December 1921, Page 5

DISARMAMENT.

FOUR-POWER TREATY. x CREATES A SENSATION. [By Electric Cable —Copyright.] [Aust. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Special.) (Received Wednesday, 11.20 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 20. The White House interpretation of the Four Power Treaty has created a mild sensation in newspaper circles. The State Department declined to comment. Admiral Kato was bombarded with questions from all angles, but he resolutely refused to be drawn, declaring that as a delegate be was bound in honour not to discuss a matter which was now in the hands of the Japanese Government. He hoped to make a full statement before leaving, as to their view of the application of the Treaty. He neither confirmed nor denied on a leading question to the effect that Japan had only consented to th 0 Homeland being included at the persuasion of Mr Balfour. The Naval Sub-Committee is now merged into a full committee of all the plenipotentiaries, which will take up the whole naval question at the next meeting on Thursday, with the assistance of experts who have been members of the sub-committee, thus indicating that matters are approaching a climax. This view is substantiated by the, fact that they will not meet on Wednesday, giving ground for the belief that much preparation is necessary; also, that further cables are passing between Mr Hughes and M. Briand. It is pointed out that M. Briand’s reservation regarding submarines and auxiliary craft is not in accordance with Mr Hughes’s plan of a popular reduction in all naval armaments. THE FRENCH DIFFICULTY. (Special.) (Received Wednesday, 9.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 20. British circles this morning are hopeful that the French difficulty will h© overcome, but they confess that the nature of M. Briand’s instructions was not known at the plenary session for discussion. His attitude had an unlooked-for result in the Senate, where there is a feeling of irritation over what is considered unreasonable demands, which have produced antagonism against any international pact. Opponents are for a first time t* 3coming hopeful of defeating the Four Power Treaty. Another interesting point in regard to the pact is the fact that the much debated inclusion therein of Japan’s mainland is due to the Australian initiative, Senator Pearce insisting that it would be derogatory to Australian national pride to have Japan itself excepted, while Australia was included as a country under the protection of the four powers. The White House and the State Department seem to be at variance over the interpretation of the Four Power Pact. Presidential circles to-day let it be known that they did not consider that the Treaty applied to the islands of Japan proper any more than to the American mainland. The American and British delegates have at one time and another declared emphatically that the provisions of the Treaty are applicable to the Japanese home islands as well as to the outlying possessions. The Japanese, likewise, have' said that they consider the Treaty in the same way, but the Presidential announcement..classes the islands of Japan proper as those of a party to the pact and so distinct from the islands possessions. Interesting developments may be expected, adding fuel to the local controversy and increasing the Senatorial attention to the Treaty.

FIVE-POWER CONFERENCE, ( SUGGESTED BY BRITAIN. (Received Wednesday, 8.5 p.m.) LONDON, December 20. The Central News Agency states that Mr Lloyd George has submitted to M. Briand that a Five-Power Conference, embracing Russia and Germany, should be called for January. A PRESIDENTIAL OPINION. (Special) (Received Wednesday, 10.25 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 20. President Harding remains most optimistic regarding the Conference. He said he thought it was going fine. If it did nothing concrete, still it had done the greatest thing in the world in bringing the people of the world to a realisation of the futility of the old-time methods and promise the possibility of investigating their grievances in a perfectly natural way. "There was a better feeling in the world than ever before with the manifestation that the Conference has brought forth tho possibility of looking each other in the face across the table, banishing a lot of hate and suspicion. The Conference, has given mankind a new lease of human happiness and international good fellowship.’’ • It was resolved this afternoon, during the discussions of the Four-power Pact, that it was clearly understood that the mainland of Japan was included. though at one stage Japan took the point that she herself ought not to he, when Britain and the United States were not. This squares with the earlier cable that the Australian representations caused inclusion, NAVAL ARMAMENTS. CLAIMS OP PRANCE. (Special.) (Received Wednesday, 11.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 20. After a meeting of the Sub-Com-mlttee of Naval Armaments to-day a communique was issued, giving the correspondence between Mr Hughes and M. Briand regarding France’s claim to ten capital ships. Mr Hughes’ letter, after reviewing the agreement arrived at between Britain, the United States, and Japan, points out that the sacrifices proposed by the American Government have been kibstantlally made. The agreement, however, was dependent on the agreement between France and Italy. There i was not the slightest d fflculty in regard to the latter, provided there was I a suitable understand'mr w'th France. Thus the attitude of Prance deter- ; mined the success or failure of | the efforts to reduce the naval armaments. In dealing wTh Br'ta’n and Japan the facts were taken as they are. without an academic discussion of tho national needs and aspirations, which could not be realised by a ration of capital ships taken, as that existing. It would be futile to secure a better one if nations with abundant resources built in competition. There was a proposed reduction of