CRUISER STRENGTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20465, 17 January 1930, Page 11

CRUISER STRENGTH.

PROPOSED CONCESSIONS.

LABOUR PLANS CRITICISED.

SACRIFICES DEPRECATED.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON. Jan. 15. Viscount Bridgeman, who was First Lord of tlie Admiralty in the late Conservative Government, addressed a special public meeting convened by the Navy League. The speaker said that to call the forthcoming Five Powers Naval Conference one for a reduction of armaments when it was for a reduction of the British Fleet alone was a misuse of the language. The Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, had scattered beautiful rhetorical bouquets in America, but ho had got no nearer to solving the problem than did the late Government. The Navy League would welcome an agreement provided that nothing were done to impair the security of the Empire and her trade routes. Other nations had formulated their minimum demands and British statesmen should do likewise. The Singapore naval base would be needed if the conference failed. If it succeeded that base would be still more necessary owing to the reduction in naval arms.

Lord Bridgeman said the cruiser problem was the difficulty in 1927 and it was the most serious difficulty now. Britain's building policy had been one of slow replacement and within the next 10 years 35 of her existing cruisers would be obsolete.

In regard to the statement of Mr. A. V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, to the effect that Britain was willing to reduce her cruiser strength to 50 ships, the speaker said Mr. Alexander's reason for that was most unconvincing. It was that the Pact of Paris had made all the difference between the 70 cruisers Britain needed in 1927 and the 50 she wanted now. If the pact was the only reason why should it have such a curiously different. effect upon different countries ? Apparently it had caused other countries to increase their cruisers and Britain was the only one which was led to reduce them.

Britain could not go on giving something for nothing. An agreement could be reached in a spirit of give-and-take, but other people must give as well as Britain.