NAVAL CONVERSATIONS

Northern Advocate, 8 November 1934, Page 5

NAVAL CONVERSATIONS

CONFIDENTIAL NATURE.

JAPAN PROPOSES EQUALITY,

[British Official Wireless.] (Receivedii 1.30, p.m.). RUGBY, November 7

The London bilateral naval conversations were . continued when a formal. meeting between, the British and Japanese delegations was held. The Prime Minister, . Mr Ramsay MacDonald,- presided. .. A .brief, communique stated , that, the discussion on the Japanese, proposals, was continued. The proposals,, inter.; alia, substitute equality . - for ' . the differential rates of naval strength fixed between the Washington Treaty, but they have so far proved unacceptable to both the American arid British delegations. In their present stage, the conversations were directed towards bringing the three Powers' into line, but the confidential nature of the talk was being strictly, observed. For the present, no further formal meeting has been arranged, but the individual members of all delegations were in close contact with one another.

A hopeful, feature of the exchanges so far is the evidence they have given that all parties are united in a desire ;to prevent reversion to open and unregulated competition.