JAPAN’S WISH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 January 1936, Page 5

JAPAN’S WISH

COMMON UPPER LIMIT NAVAL CONFERENCE POSITION A DELICATE STAGE (British Official Wireless) (Received 10th January, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, 9th January. At to-day’s meeting of the First Committee of the Naval Conference the plans submitted by the French, United Kingdom and Italian delegations respectively for the quantitative limitation of naval armaments by means of notification and exchange of building programmes will be further examined. At yesterday’s meeting they were received favourably by the United States delegation, but the Japanese delegate is understood to have criticised the quantitative features of the plans, but refused to discuss qualitative questions. A further Japanese pronouncement will, it is understood, be made to-day, and the newspapers state that if it, indicates that the Japanese delegates will discuss no agreement that does not embody a common upper limit, to which the other delegations are opposed, a critical stage in the conference may be regarded as approaching. “The Times” says that even if this should result in the withdrawal of the Japanese delegation from the Conference it does not necessarily follow that the Conference would at once disperse, It is probable that other delegations will seek to conclude an agreement between themselves upon lines on which there would seem to be a large measure of agree ment, already containing a saving clause permitting modification in the event of undue developments elsewhere. QUANTITATIVE LIMITATION (Received 10th January, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, 9th January. Informal discussions in connection with the Naval Conference took place between the British and Japanese delegations this afternoon. The conversations which were most friendly and lasted an hour and a half, were undertaken with a view of considering the future procedure of the Conference. The Japanese delegates expressed the desire that the discussions should revert to the subject of quantitative limitation pure and simple, and in view of this expression of opinion it was agreed that tire best plan would be to postpone to-morrow’s meeting of the First Committee until Monday In the meantime soundings are to be taken amongst other delegations to ascertain whether they would be prepared to acquiesce in this proposal. Informal conversations will consequently take place to-morrow with other powers’ delegates.