NAVAL CONFERENCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 28 March 1930, Page 5

NAVAL CONFERENCE

NEW PHASE ENTERED UPON

ISSUES CLEARLY DEFINED

HOPES OF FIVE-POWER AGREEMENT

(British Official Wireless)

RUGBY, 27th March. With this afternoon’s mooting of heads of delegations the London Naval Conference is generally regarded as having entered upon a new phase. The issues confronting the conference are now clearly defined, the work of the experts having cleared the ground of certain technical difficulties. The Franco-Italian deadlock remains tho chief obstacle to further advance, but lollowing the conciliatory speech of the French Foreign Minister, M. Briand, in the Senate last week, hopes are entertained that a solution may he found and that a live-power agreement, which is still the sole aim of the conference, may be achieved. M. Briand had a long conversation with tho Foreign Secretary, Mr Henderson, this morning, and it is understood the political aspects of the problem before the conference were touched upon. Tho Prime Minister, who entertained tho United States’ experts attached to the conference and their wives at luncheon at his official residence, had a short conversation with Mr Wakatsuki, the chief Japanese delegate. A full meeting of heads of delegations was held at St. James’s Palace this afternoon. Political issues were not raised at that meeting, which was very brief, but it is probable they will play an important part in conversations which, as a communique indicates, are contemplated in the course of the next week.

iThe communique says:—“The discussion concerning the next plenary session continued from the point where it had . been left at the previous meeting.' It was agreed that a plenary session should be held on Friday of next week, when the progress of conversations being held between members of various delegations and of committees’ work should be reported. Heads of delegations meet again on Monday.”