NAVAL POWERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22315, 13 January 1936, Page 9

NAVAL POWERS

JAPAN'S ATTITUDE FATE OF CONFERENCE OFFICIALS IN CONFLICT By Telegraph—Press? Association—Copyright (Received January 12. 7.5 p.m.) TOKIO, Jan. 11 • It is understood that instructions were drafted after a 10-hour conference between the Foreign Office and the Admiralty, recommending that Japan should not immediately -withdraw from the naval conference if that step is avoidable. The recommendations are being submitted to Cabinet. The newspaper Asahi Shimbun attributes the length of the conference to a clash in official opinion. The Foreign Office counselled a continuation of efforts to persuada the delegations to accept a commoii upper limit, accompanied by an er.deavour to arouse world opinion to the justice of Japan's claims, but the naval spokesmen demanded an early rupture as the situation was impossible in view of Admiral Osmai Nagano's statement that the British and Japanese proposals were irreconcilable. Japan's policy was clearly defined by Admiral Nagano in London early in December, ile said: "The settled conviction of our Government is that only by discarding the old ratio system of limitation and recognising equally the national defence of each country may we hope to achieve a just and fair agreement. It is our earnest desire to attain a just and fair agreement as to quantitative and qualitative limitation, seeking thereby to establish immutably the principles of non-menace and nonaggression among the great naval Powers, and reducing as much as possible the burden of armament competition. "Further, we demand the total abolition or drastic reduction of all offensive ships, such as aircraft-carriers, capital ships and A class cruisers. Regarding defensivo ships, such as B class cruisers, destroyers, and submarines,- we maintain that each nation should be left free to provide defence by retaining the ships best calculated to meet its own requirements. In this connection we can never agree to the suppression of submarines." Britain opposed the principle of equality. "We attach the greatest importance to a continuation of limitation, qualitatively and quantitatively," said Mr. Baldwin, "and would like to gee a reduction of the size of all larger types of ships and guns. Also we still press for the abolition of submarines if possible. It is vital to agree to prevent the misuse of submarines." CONFERENCE OF 1921

BRITAIN AND AMERICA OVERTURES OF ADMIRALTY (Received January 12. 5.5 p.m.) XEW YORK, Jan. 11 "What purports to be the origin of the 1921 Naval Conference at "Washington is revealed by Mr. Eugene Young, cable editor of the New York Times, in his book " Powerful America," published to-day. The idea of an AngloAmerican naval agreement, be says, originated in the mind of Lord Lee, then First Lord of the Admiralty, who asked the late Mr. Adolph S. Ochs, who was publisher of the New York Times, personally to transmit the suggestion to officials at Washington. Mr. Oclis did so through an intermediary, who discussed the matter with the then Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Edwin Denby, at Washington, and prepared a memorandum on Lord Lee's proposal which, in part, said: "He suggested that the agreement between the two countries—Britain and America —regarding the policing of the seas would have as a consequence a certain limitation of naval construction with, for instance, the United States taking, the guardianship of the Pacific while Britain took responsibility for the Atlantic." Generally he was unfavourable to the proposal, but was not specific. The reply from Mr. Denby was transmitted to Lord Lee through the same channels. Lord Lee's unusual device in com-, municating with Washington was prompted by a desire to prevent suspicion in Tokio, Paris and other capitals. In a later memorandum Mr. Ochs noted that Britain denounced her treaty with Japan and soon afterwards Mr. Warren G. Harding, then President, invited the Powers to a naval conference. The importance which Lord Lee placed upon the views of Australia; New Zealand and Canada in regard to the Pacific naval situation is emphasised by Mr. Ochs in recording his impressions of conversations with Lord Lee.

DELEGATES IN LONDON INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS JAPANESE PROPOSALS British "Wireless ETTGBY. Jan. 10 Further informal contacts were made at a meeting between the British and Japanese delegates to the Naval Conference yesterday. The Foreign Secretar}", Mr. Anthony Eden, was present. It is generally anticipated as a result of these contacts, that when the First Committee meets again on Monday evening the discussion of the Japanese proposal for a common upper limit will be resumed. It is possible that in the meantime the Japanese delegates may prepare a new statement further elucidating the precise application of their proposal.