SUBMARINES IN WARFARE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20330, 11 February 1928, Page 11

SUBMARINES IN WARFARE

PROPOSAL FOR ABOLITION. BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S VIEW. (British Official Wireless.) (Press Association— By Telegraph—Copyright.) RUGBY, Febiruary (Received Feb. 10, at 7 p.m.) The declaration of the United __ States Secretary of State (Mr F. B. Kcllog D ) that his Government would be prepared to sbn a treaty with all the other Powers prohibiting the use of sumbarines was tire subject of a question in the Housg of Commons to-day. Mr G. Locker-Lampson (Under-secretary for Foreign Affaire) replied: “ The views of his Majesty’s Government in favoir of the general abolition of submarines were made known at the Washington Con ference of IS2I, and repeated by the First Lord of the Admiralty at the Naval von ference at Geneva last summer. They are, therefore, familiar to the United States Government. It is, of course, an essential condition, as indicated n Mr Kellogg’s declaration, that abohti m must be universal.” Asked whether the matter was going to be brought up at Geneva at the end of this month, Mr Locker-Lampson said he did not know, but the British Government was perfectly ready to reaffirm the declaration which it had already made at Washington and Geneva. In reply to the question whether, in view of the fact that the Franco-German frontier had been guaranteed by the Locarno Treaty, the British Governme.it would consider the evacuation of British troops from the Rhineland at an early date, Mr Locker-Lampson replied: “ There has been no question of an isolated withdrawal of the British troops, which would not, in my opinion, be to anyone’s advantage in the present circumstances. General evacuation of the Rhineland before the neriod laid down ; n the Treaty of Versailles can only be the result of' an arrangement between the Powers whose troops are affected on one hand and the German Government on the other. If such an arrangement be possible it will be very welcome to the British Government. In this connection I would refer to the speeches regarding the conditions on which the anticipated evacuation might take place which were made by the French and German Foreign Ministers before the French Senate ani the Reichstag respectively.”