The MANAWATU DAILY Times FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1936. The Naval Race

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 43, 21 February 1936, Page 6

The MANAWATU DAILY Times FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1936. The Naval Race

The Naval Conference lias almost ended, and its failure is certain. In the present state of world opinion nothing could have been more hopeless than the attempt to restrict naval construction, and it is not surprising that the United States has refused to budge on the size of battleships. These enormously costly engines of destruction are to continue to he built to the size laid down by the Washington Treaty. If the French figure of £3OO per ton, as cabled to-day, is taken, then the battleship of the near future will cost the colossal figure of £10,500,000!

It is not surprising, in view of Japan’s militant altitude that America is determined to take no chances wth her navy, and seeing that site is more likely to be Britain’s only effective ally in any contest for the control of the Pacific, her intentions are of the greatest moment to New Zealand. She is preparing, according to reliable authorities, to carry out a “regular annual replacement programme” for naval construction.

It is argued—and it seems logically so —that in the past American naval policy has always been of the hit-or-miss variety. In times of international tranquillity, naval construction has been allowed to fall off. In times of tension, there has been hurried building, with two unfortunate results. From the technical naval point of view, it is bad because it deprives the builders of the advantages of continuity of experience, and hurried construction is more likely to involve faulty design and structural weakness.

From the diplomatic point of view, because a sub-standard navy deprives diplomacy of the maximum support when tension begins to develop—the time when it is most needed—and because hurried construction during a time of tension inevitably tends to increase the tension. It causes increased suspicion on the part of possible naval rivals and an excuse for increased construction by otherpporers.w r ers.

This is particularly apparent at the moment in America’s present record naval-building programme. It is by far the largest naval programme in the world to-day and has contributed materially to the apprehension in Tokyo w'hich is reflected at London in Japan’s determined insistence on naval parity with the United States.

Considering the somewhat less than perfect condition of international relations, the advantages of the programme seem for the time being to outiveigh the disadvantages. The world scarcely seems ready for real disarmament. That being the case, a regular American naval building policy would constitute an clement of stability. Other nations would know what to expect from the United States and -would not be led to predicate their o-wn programmes on the false impression which a sudden spurt in American naval building might cause.

To advise the Wellington Education Board upon the staffing and other organisation matters of the Wellington Teachers’ Training College, a special committee of four has been appointed, It is hoped that the college will be reopened, after being closed for throe years, on Sunday, March 1, classes be ing started on March 2.

That sheep drowned at Rangiotu during the flood in the Manawatu river three weeks ago, had -been found 4Jmiles up the Main drain, was reported to yesterday’s meeting of the Sluggish River Drainage Board, thus showing how the water from the river backs up the drain during flood time,