NATIONS' ARMAMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22354, 30 August 1934, Page 9

NATIONS' ARMAMENTS

INCREASED ESTIMATES GERMANY IGNORES TREATY GENEVA, August 28. • (Received August 29, at 8.30 p.m.) An Increase of £61,000,000 in the armament estimates of Japan, Russia and the United States is revealed in the League Armament Year Book, which ■shows tension in the Ear East. Australia has also .budgeted £1,000,000 more than for . 1933134. Germany’s increase is £17,000,000, though the Versailles Treaty forbids larger armaments, while BritainV increase is £5,000,000, apart from the new Air Force estimates. FRENCH NAVAL POLICY ■ PARIS, August 28. (Received August 29, at 8.30 p.m.) The Minister of Marino (M. Pietri), outlining the naval policy, in which the foremost item is the construction of the Dunkerque’s sister ship, which will be named the Strasbourg and be completed by 1938, said: “I am a partisan of big units, but I am not confining myaelf to new building. I have ordered complete transformation of the three province class of battleships, the first of which will be ready for service in a few months. Other developments include a four-year plan for improving the naval air service, the construction of subterranean petrol depots, and new land, batteries on the Algerian and Moroccan coasts.” JAPAN’S NEW SCHEME TOKIO, August 29. (Received August 30, at 0.30 a.m.) The foreign spokesman revealed that Japan will present at the naval preliminary talks in London in October an entirely new scheme “in the spirit af disarmament arid for the purpose of curtailment of armaments,” and hopes that other Powers will similarly submit fresh proposals enabling the working out of a mutually satisfactory agreement. He indicated that the Japanese scheme involves supersession or amendment of the Washington Pact, which, if the other Powers agree, will obviate Japan’s formal notice of abrogation, but if they do not agree Japan must abrogate. The chief naval representative, Rear-admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, will arrive in London at the end of October.