FIVE POWERS CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20508, 8 March 1930, Page 11

FIVE POWERS CONFERENCE.

RESUMPTION OF SESSIONS. REPORT. OF ' AGREEMENT.; BRITAIN AND AMERICA. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received March 7, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON. March C. With the arrival of the French delegates apart from the Premier, M. Tardieu, who has gone to the flood areas to organise rolief, everything is ready for tlio full resumption of the Naval Conference to-morrow. The Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, conferred with the French Foreign Minister, M. Briand, this evening. The most important event to-day bearing on the conference was the publication of the British naval estimates. The first business to-morrow will be a meeting in the morning of the chief delegates. The first committee in the afternoon will receive the report of the export committee on special vessels. American newspapers to-day publish a report from Mr. 11. L. Stimson, the head of the American delegates, referring to the suggestion that the conference may lead to an increase rather than a reduction of the world's navies. Ho says the plan which, in its essentials, appears acceptable to both the American and British delegatioriSjv provides for a net reduction •of tonnage of the American fleet, being built or building, of far over 200,000 tons and a larger reduction on the part of the British Fleet. These reductions, ho adds, are, of course, contingent on some reductions being made in the fleets of the other Powers. Mr. Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary, had a conversation to-night with M. Briand (France) immediately on the latter's return to London. Ho is head of the French delegation, in the absence t)f the Premier, M. Tardieu, who is postponing his arrival in London in order to visit the flooded areas in Southern France. SIZE OF SUBMARINES. VIEWS OF THE POWERS. DIVERGENCE ON MAXIMUM. LONDON, March G. The Experts Committee continued its discussion of submarines, and it elicited interesting points of view. Britain and America are willing to accept, as a basis of discussion the maximum figure for the size of ships suggested at Geneva in 1927, namely, 1800 tons. Italy agreed to this, but Japan demanded 2000 tons. France would accept the figur9 agreeable fo the other Powers if she were permitted to retain a certain number of submarines of a tonnage up to 3000. Britain and America would compromise on 2000, provided there was only one class of submarine, none of which exceeded that figure. Italy also urged a single class. It is pointed out that the French proposal, favouring a number of 3000-ton submarines, would create a new category, numberable individually like cruisers, thereby providing supersubmarines, apart from the smaller ones included in the global tonnage. APPEAL TO MACDONALD. LEAGUE OF NATIONS UNION. RENEWED CONFIDENCE SOUGHT. (Received March <l, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. The League of Nations Union has passed a resolution reaffirming its conviction that owing to the security provided by the League Covenant and the Pact of Paris, the Naval Conference should result in a large all-round reduction in armaments. The union is appealing to the Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, to use the full resources of his authority and- influence to restore the confident atmosphere in which the conference began its labours.