NAVAL LIMITATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20690, 12 April 1929, Page 9

NAVAL LIMITATION

HOPES OF UNITED STATES. A DESPATCH TO BRITAIN. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) NEW YORK, April 10. (Received April 11, at 9.30 p.m.) Tile New York Times’s Washington correspondent states that Washington hassent the following important despatch relative to armament limitations :—“ The substantial hope exists that another conference on naval limitations will eventuate in the near future. This much may be said at least, that the Hoover Administration will be willing to meet the British Government halfway in any. overture do signed to reconvene the Tripartite Conference of 1927. It is now clear that the United States is willing to consider discarding any tonnage limitation by categories of ships and seek arrangements cn a basis of classes of ships that take into consideration the respective requirements of Britain and the United States. This would permit limitation by typos of cruisers and their displacement and armament and avoid controversy over the free building of any types of cnaisers within the total tonnage set forth for the general category of ships.” The despatch states that in order to overcome the obstacle of the possibility of any nation obtaining an advantage'in fighting strength, “it may be necessary that the British Government adopt the principle that there never will be war between the two nations. It may be stated that while sach a suggestion may be scoffed at in British naval circles, the United States will be willing to offer encouraging reasons for its acceptance.” The message further adds i that the United States would agree that no professional men should serve as delegates to the conference, the problem being more political rhan technical, and that preliminary to such a conference there should be prolonged exchanges between the two Governments to ensure success. The hope is expressed that the Geneva Preparatory. Conference may offer an opportunity for experts of the two nations to get together and initiate a movement for the conference.—Australian Press Association.