LIMITATION OF NAVIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20363, 18 September 1929, Page 11

LIMITATION OF NAVIES.

BRITAIN AND AMERICA

DIFFERENCES VERY SMALL

TWO NATIONS' LEADERS.

IMPENDING MEETING.

SPIRIT OF GOODWILL.

fty Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Press Association.

"British Wireless,

LONDON. Sept. 16.

It is'officially announced that Australia nnd New Zealand will bo invited to be separately represented at tho five-Powers naval conference which probably will be held in tho middle of January.

An autlioritativo statement says the outstanding margin in the negotiations between Britain and America consists of Amciica's desire for three extra 10,000ton cruisers and Britain's wish that America should reduce her aggregate tonnage bv 15,000. The Frimo Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, l's said to be sanguine of bridging both difficulties on his visit to Washington. Tho point whether tho conference will deal with naval bases, including Singapore, is said to bo a question not mentioned so far and not likely to be. This is a matter for discussion later.

Hopo of Better Relations,

The purpose of Mr. Mac Donald's visit io Washington is solely to provide an outward sign of goodwill, which it is confidently hoped will establish the relations between Britain and America on a firmer basis than has existed since 1812. The small margin of difference which still remains to be settled in the naval negotiations will not bo discussed nt next month's historic meeting at White House. These differences will be taken up at the five-Powers conference in London. The scope of that conference will be much wider than lias been generally supposed. It has now been settled that tho conference, shall be the adjourned Washington Conference. This would not otherwise have met until 1931. America and Britain feel that the naval Towers would probably like to have under consideration the entire problem, including first-class battleships, the limitation of which has been settled up to that date. Tho Powers, therefore, will be invited to send representatives to London to discuss the whole question of naval disarmament, and/may take a further substantial step in that direction and then go to the Preparatory Commission on Disarmament of the League of Nations to deal with land and air disarmament.

Hoped-for Increase of Peace Spirit

Even if a step is taken toward naval disarmament which proved to be smaller than tho British Government would wish, a world agreement on building, although not a single ship were taken off the sea, would be an immense advance.

As to the position between Britain and the United States, the January conference will give an opportunity for revising some parts of the agreement which has been the. subject of the conversations in recent months. It is emphasised that in any case the terms of such an agreement must bo subject to the five-Powers conference being in concurrence with it. At present Britain has 58 cruisers built unci building. Under the new proposals these, would be scaled down to 50 by 1936. That is taken as the standard year. In 1935 the situation would be reviewed.

The intervening years would give an opportunity for a peace experiment. If in 1933 it were found that such an experiment. was not justified, that the hopedfor increase of peace spirit had not materialised and that, the figures of 1929 did not give the necessary margin of safety, demands could be put forward for increases in 1936. Absence ol Naval Rivalry.

If no change lias taken place in the meantime the naval strength could be continued on the 1929 basis. If, on the other, hand, it were found that such a figure was much too big another reduction could be made.

/The absence of naval rivalry between Britain and America contributed substantially to the success of the recent conversations. The British Board of the Admiralty has never, either under the late administration or under the present Government, taken America into account

in devising its programme. Britain has certain responsibilities to hear and the Board of the Admiralty has always been bound to provide for certain possibilities—the situation which developed so rapidly in Palestine, for example.

To meet these responsibilities a certain Fleet'standard had been worked out and the present British Government would, in any event, have reviewed the entire position to see how far it had been constructed io meet those responsibilities and nothing else. No objection was raised to America's parity. In addition to parity America wanted to reduce expenditure arid Britain also desired to reduce expenditure, but not below a point at which she could fulfil her responsibilities. The point, therefore, was reached for discussing how America and Britain could satisfy two requirements —parity and reduction. Classes of Warships Considered. At the outset it was agreed that the effort at disarmament must have a political foundation. The work was started, therefore, with the Kellogg Pact as the basis of any agreement to be reached. A survey showed tiiat there were broadly three classes of warships to be considered. Firstly, there were first-class battleships, limited by the Washington agreement of 1921; secondly, there were cruisers, divided into 8-inch gun cruisers of roughly 10,000 tons and 6-inch gun cruisers, tho tonnage of which recently has become recognised at about 6fX)O tuns; thirdly, there were destroyers ii'nd submarines. It became clear in flic course of tho negotiations that a settlement in regard to destroyers must depend very largely upon what the other Powers built. However, it was agreed that as between Britam and America, in destroyers, there fcliould bo eventual parity. •As to submarines, it was found that America, like. Britain, would welcome their elimination. 1 lie only difficulty throughout the conversations was in relation to cruisers. An exploration of the problem was undertaken and tentative proposals were advanced by both sides.

Now the position is that an exceedingly narrow margin remains upon which agreement has not yet been reached. That margin is involved in two factors:(l) Total cruiser tonnage; (2) tho use that can bo made of the margin of about 24,000 or 30,000 tons of vessels. In view of tho narrowness of this margin it is regarded as incredible that there could bo a break. Britain lias stated' her final requirements at 50 cruisers, of which 15 shall carry 8 inch guns and 35 shall carry 6-inch guns, with a total tonnago of 339,000. The United States' proposals are for 21 cruisers, to carry 8-inch guns and 15 to carry 6-inch guns, a total of 315,000 tons.

Britain would like the American 8-inch cruisers reduced to 18 and her total tonnago to 300,000 tons. The view held in authoritative British circles is that an agremont does not depend finally on the negotiations between Britain and America.

A message from Washington says the Secretary of Stato, Mr. H. L. Stimson, stated to-day that recent developments might necessitate the holding of tho proposed conferenco in January instead of December, because of the necessity for thorough preparation for tho meeting.

TOUR OF AMERICA.

PRIME MINISTER'S PLANS.

VISITS TO CANADIAN CITIES. British "Wireless. RUGBY. Sept. 16. Tho Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, after a stay of six days at Washington, will leave for New York on October 10. Ho will pay a briof call on tho way at. Philadelphia to renew his acquaintance with doctors and others who attended him in his illness when ho was last in America.

>tr. MacPonald expects to leave New York on October 14 to visit tho Niagara Falls. From Buffalo ho will go to Toronto. It is possible that be inay there meet the Canadian Primo Minister, Mr. W. L. Mackenzie King, but in any event lie will seo Mr. King at Ottawa on October 16. They will discuss various matters in the three days to bo spent there by Mr. Mac Donald. Montreal and Quebec will later be visited and the Prime Minister is duo to leave Quebec, for England on October 25.

MISS MACDONALD.

HUNDREDS OF INVITATIONS

SOCIETY FOLK INTERESTED.

Australian and N.Z. Press Association. LONDON, Sept. 16. When tho Prime Minister, Mr. MacDonald, leaves on his visit to America the attention of tho world's statesmen will be directed to the statesman, but the eyes of the women of America will bo turned to his daughter, Miss Ishbel Mac Donald, the hostess of No. 10, Downing Street, who has been described by Queen Mary as " a thoroughly charming gill-" Miss Mac Donald bids fair to be this vcar's " Belle of New ork. It is learned that New York society people are anxious to meet her, as tho fame of the Prime Minister's model daughter has spread far and wide, They wish to lionour a girl who does not smoke or dance, who is versed in tho domestic virtues, and who, while sho looks after her father's important guests, finds time to play an important part in London's municipal and social work. Hundreds of invitations from American hostesses and public bodies are pouring into Downing Street. Her hosts will sec a slim, upright girl of 26, with a mass of fluffy brown hair, who speaks in a low even voice, which now and again breaks into an infectious laugh.