COMPROMISE PLAN

Northern Advocate, 1 February 1930, Page 9

COMPROMISE PLAN

TONNAGE OF NAVAL SHIPS PROVISIONS OUTLINED. AGREEMENT HAvSTS REACHED. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received 8.22 a.m.) LONDON, January 31.

Briefly put, the compromise plan propounded 'by the French delegates at the Naval Conference, and clumsily called the "French transactional proposal,” provides that each Power shall specify it he maximum figure of its total tonnage, which it will undertake not to exceed.

Each Power is also to submit figures if or the categories of ships, the tonnage of ovhich must not exceed the total tonnage transference. A certain agreed percentage, say 10 per cent, will be allowable from one category to another,, but only with notice and a number of safeguards. Any Increase of tonnage in one ■category must be accompanied by a corresponding decrease in another, the categories- to remain fixed for the duration of the treaty, axxd thereafter to be alterable only by 12 months’ ■notice to the League of Nations. The French want, deviation among all categories, but this is not likely to be .agreed to. The categories suggested arc as follow.— (1) Battleships of 10,000 tons and ovoi-, or ships carrying eight-inch guns and over.

(2) Cruisers carrying guns above : six-iiich calibre.

(3) -Surface craft carrying loss than ‘six-inch gnus, including destroyers. (4) Aircraft, carriers. (5) 'Submarines. (6) Mine-sweepers and various small (craft.

It is hoped that this division of ‘cruiser categories will Help, to solve the problem outstanding between. Britain and the United States, . while the grouping of light, cniisers and destroyers will meet French naval requirements.

Whether the categories.stand ashore detailed remains to be soon. It is known that the original British list distinguished between battleships and eigh-inch-igun cruisers, \A great advance towards agreement by the nations lies in the fact that ‘while the French have hitherto argued that limitation can only be achieved by total tonnage, leaving any State to allot the tonnage according to its own requirements, and Britain held that limitation could best be effected within the categories, the first method has been approved, combining both ideas.

BRTTLSH PROGRAMME, - MODIFIED CONSTRUCTION. TWELVE DELETIONS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 9 a.m.) RUGBY, January 30. The modifications which Britain has introduced into her prognamme of naval construction are referred to in a written reply to a Parliamentary question by Mr A. V. Alexander, First Lord 'of the Admiralty. He said that British naval vessels deleted from the programme of 1929, as approved by Parliament, wore two cruisers, including the eight-ineh-gun ship, four destroyers, one net-layer and target-towing vessel, two sloops and three submarines.

Whether the three remaining submarines in the programme would bo proceeded with would be decided after the 'conclusion of the Naval 'Conference. iMr Alexander, in reply to other questions, said there wore 54 British Empire cruisers built and four in an advanced stage of construction.

BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS.

TWO HOURS’ DISCUSSION.

(Received 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, January 31,

Mr MacDonald and the full British and Dominions’ delegations conferred for over two hours at St. James’ Palace.

Mr J. E. Fenton (Australia) recounted “dominion status,” as defined in lf)2G. He fully recognised that there had been no hitch. He 'believed that difficulties had arisen in connection with the “Steering Committee/ * on which all the delegations were represented. iSome objected to extensive dominion representation on it, expressing the .opinion that it would give Britain the balance of power. Mr MacDonald pointed out that nothing could be adopted unless the decision was unanimous; accordingly, it would not matter how extensive was the Dominions’ representation. The earlier proposal for a committee ■of two delegates from each Power had been abandoned, owing to the Dominions’ insistence |>u full representation, which was granted by the conference.

FULL MEETING. LIMITATION QUESTION. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 12,10 p.m.) RUGBY, January ill. The first committee of the Naval Conference, consisting of all members of the conference, met this afternoon at. St. James’ Palace, Mr MacDonald presiding, and took up

the questions of limitation of global tonnage and limitation' of categories.

After statements had been read by Mr A. V. Alexander, British First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr Wakatsuki (Japan), Admiral Sirannl (Italy) and Mr C. F. Adams (United States), M. Massigli, on behalf of Ihe French delegation, gave an outline of the revised French compromise proposal. The eommitteo adjourned until February 4 in order to give the delegates an opportunity to study the abovementioned statements and any proposals that might be submitted to them.