NAVAL ARMAMENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20312, 21 January 1928, Page 13

NAVAL ARMAMENTS.

ENGLAND “ MARKING TIME.” (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON December 14. The Right Hon. W. C. Bridgeman, M.P., First Lord of the Admiralty, who was the guest of the Junior Constitutional’ Club at a house dinner, gave reasons for the cause of the breakdown of the recent Conference on Armaments at Geneva. - In replying to the principal toast, he reviewed the work of the conference, in order, he said, to remove some of the misunderstandings which had arisen in people’s minds. A few days ago he announced on behalf of the Government that they should drop the “A ” class cruiser out of their programme this year, and another one out of next year’s programme. That was completely consistent with the poposal made at Geneva —that if America would agree to stop at a certain limit and only have 1 small cruisers that we would mark time until they got up to . ur level. In criticism of this he read an article in the Daily Mail, which said: “ This is all very well, but it is too late. Why didn’t you say that at Geneva.” That was exactly what he did say at Geneva. “ It would make these articles more readable,” Mr Bridgeman remarked, “ if the people who wrote them would attempt to understand the -object about which they write. — (“Hear, hear.”) It is exactly what I proposed at Geneva, that . we should mark time, end we are mark- • ing time now in order that the United j States may reconsider the point; and if j they are prepared to agree to it they will still have a chance of doing so. Therefore I say we have been perfectly consistent.” —(“Hear, hear.”)