NAVAL CONFERENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21844, 5 July 1934, Page 11

NAVAL CONFERENCE

CLEARING THE GROUND BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS SURVEY OF AGREED POINTS NECESSITY EMPHASISED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 4, 6.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, July 3 The Acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, in the House of Commons today referred to the bilateral discussions proceeding preparatory to next year's Naval Conference. He said world conditions now in many ways were more difficult than at the time of the London Conference. Therefore it was mo»o than ever necessary to survey all tho ground on which they were agreed before tho conference because the very deterioration of certain conditions in the world made it all tho more necessary in tho view of the British Government that the conference should meet to achieve some end. Discussions would bo continued between some of tho participating nations, the sole object being to explore the ground so that it might be possible for the conference to meet and have a successful issue.

Any widespread, premature discussion on tentative proposals put forward in feeling the way might very easily create such a prejudice in some countries as would entirely defeat the. object at present shared by all tho members of the conference. That was to get together and do some good work.

MAKING NEW PACTS DIFFICULTIES IN WAY CLAIMS OF THE POWERS LONDON. June 24 The making of naval agreements in 1935 will bo harder than in 1922 or 1930, says the naval correspondent of the Times. The German claim to "equality of status, Japan's insistence on a 5-5-5 ratio, Russia's desire for representation, France's desire for revision and Italy's maintenance of her claim for parity with France all complicate the situation. , Britain's allowance of tonnage under the treaty, namely, less than 50 cruisers, is inadequate. The authorisation by the United States Congress of 101 new vessels still further upsets the naval balance, to Britain's disadvantage.

Anothor problem is France's construction of destroyers of a size which, in England, would necessitate their classification as cruisers, and their consequent deduction from the cruiser tonnage allowance. Tho future of submarines must again be considered, as must also the modernisation of fleets by the minor Power?, which, because thev are not subject to the treaty, are perfectly free to do this and to sell warships to one another, which may further upset tho naval equilibrium.