NAVAL CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19691, 18 July 1927, Page 9

NAVAL CONFERENCE.

PROGRESS AT GENEVA,

BRITAIN'S LATEST PLAN.

HOPES OF AN AGREEMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received July 17, 5.35 p.m.) A and N.Z. GENEVA, July IG. Early reflections after the plenary session of the Naval Arms Limitation Conference were ( not too cheerful. The speeches seem to indicate that practically no progress had been made. A section of the American journalists expressed the opinion that the sooner the conference ended the better. Fortunately this is not the view of the members of any delegation. Those who are mostly behind the scenes insist that more progress has been made toward an agreement than would appear from the speeches at the plenary session. British circles are inclined to take up the challenge of Mr. Hugh Gibson, the chief American delegate, that if an AngloJapanese agreement can be reached on a total tonnage basis within America's maximum figure, America will join in that agreement. Mr. Gibson claimed that America and Japan were very near to accord. * Mr. Gibson is showing signs of strain. It is learned that there must in any circumstances be more plenary sittings, and that even with the most favourable developments the conference must continue for at least another fortnight-Anglo-Japanese Conversations. A leading British expert gives an assurance that an agreement between Britain and Japan is less distant than appears on the surface. He says:— "Our view is that Mr. Gibson has committed himself to a 12 —12—8 ratio in 10,000-ton cruisers. That brings ns to the point of an Auglo-Japanese alignment on which we initiated conversations with the Japanese delegates last night and continued them to-day. "A measure of optimism is now justi- : liable. How wo are hoping to square the attitudes of Britain and Japan I cannot at present disclose, but Japan will not necessarily have to increase her total auxiliary craft strength." The American view of the situation is: "We have passed on the baby now to Britain and Japan. Let them get together. We will then see if we cannot make a third party in the Anglo-Japanese accord." Acceptable Solution Possible. The British delegates are determined to concentrate on the search for an agreement with Japan, leaving it to the Americans later not to raise an obstacle to making it a three-power undertaking. They appear to-day to have high hopes for its attainment. The feeling in British and Japanese circles is that an acceptable solution of the main difficulty may not be delayed beyond Monday or Tuesday. Mr. Gibson cancelled his plan to go out of town this Week-end in order to be available for parleys between the heads of the delegations, but activity is at present confined to the British and Japanese representatives. Tokio's Instructions Awaited. 'The British plan to seek an acceptable compromise on cruiser and destroyer tonnage by excluding therefrom many obsolete American and Japanese vessels and certain larger types of cruisers, is today monopolising the consideration of the experts and of the plenipotentiaries. The American delegates are simply standing by awaiting the result of the Anglo-Japanese discussions. A full meeting of the Japanese delegates considered the plan this morning and consulted Tokio on the subject. It is rumoured this evening that an AngloJapanese agreement in principle has already been reached, but this is not confirmed. The Japanese say their Cabi-. net's i%>ly has not arrived. -

COMMENT IN LONDON. BUILDING PROGRAMMES. BRITAIN'S SPECIAL NEEDS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received July 17, 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. RUGBY, July 16. Commenting on the naval conference at Geneva the Evening News says: If the goal of agreement cannot b« reached by r a limitation of the total tonnage it may well be reached by a settlement of the maximum building programmes of the three conferring Powers over a number of years. After examining the statements made by the heads of the British and American delegations the paper endorses the view expressed by "Pertinax" in Echo, de Paris that Britain's thesis is very solid and is justified by the fact that her two small islands in the centre of her vast Empire could only maintain themselves for seven weeks without outside supplies. THE SINGAPORE BASE. FIRST DOCK SECTION READY. COMPLETION HOPED FOR MAY. A. and N.Z.-Sun. LONDON, July 15, The first of the seven sections of the Admiralty dock for Singapore has been launched. It is expected that the seventh section will be launched, in January, and that the dock will be completed in May.