NAVE PARITY

Northern Advocate, 16 November 1929, Page 9

NAVE PARITY

MEDITERRANEAN TREATY SIR E. DRUMMOND’S AIM. DEGIGNAT ED “ KITE-FLYING. ’'

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received 9 a.m.) LONDON, November 14. There has been a revival lately of the suggestion of a so-called "Meditermnea%r'Locarno Treaty,” the, basis pL which.-is - that France and Italy might be induced to accept naval parity in the Mediterranean on.au undertaking being: given by Britain to guarantee either of those Powers against the aggression of the other. The Geneva correspondent of the '■Daily Herald” secured prominence for his story, that Sir Erie Drummond, Secretary-General of the League of Nations, is going to London to see Mr A. Henderson, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, for a special purpose, the implication being that the idea of the agreement is Sir Drummond’s own. The diploma tic correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph ” says the idea was j previously mooted in varying forms, but that in any case it is one which the British Government could not countenance for a moment, because its main -concern' is to keep free from war commitments. ■ The naval correspondent of the "Morning Post” classes the report as part of a considerable amount. of "kite-flying,” in view of the forthcoming Naval Arms Conference in London. The Paris correspondent of the "Daily Herald” takes up the subject. He says the. view of the Foreign Minister, M.Bfihnd, is that Britain has already discovered a. criterion by which,tofmeasure her ..needs in the direction of security, Pranceghiust now attempt... t0..-discover. (-a_aimilar- ~eriior— ■ ion. Any external guarantee” would’ play a valuable part in the discussion on parity in the- Mediterranean, • :

FIVE-POWER CONFERENCE

MEETING DATE APPROVED,

(Received 1.50 p.m.)

NEW YORK, November 15,

The United. States has notified Britain of the acceptance of January 21 as the date for the first meeting in London of the-'Five-Tower Naval Conference.