ABSENCE OF POMP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22751, 11 December 1935, Page 9

ABSENCE OF POMP

LONDON, December 9,

In keeping with the graver times in which it is meeting, the Naval Conference, unlike the ceremonial inauguration in 1930, began without pomp in the Locarno Room of the Foreign Office. Signor Grandi and the whole Italian delegation wore Fascist emblems and conversed cheerfully with other delegates before the opening. ' The Australian Associated Press understands that the dominion delegates were informed last week of the -substance of Mr Baldwin's speech, which theirs supported. Having no navies to reduce, Canada, South Africa and the Irish Free State promised their goodwill, while Australia, New Zealand and India endorsed Mr Baldwin's main points. Sir Samuel Hoare was elected president after Mr Baldwin had inaugurated the conference, but Viscount Monsell, in his absence, will preside at the majority of the meetings. It was noticeable that Signor Grandi's speech, which was in English, referred cordially to Mr Baldwin, and he made only passing mention of sanctions. He did not mention the position in the Mediterranean. JAPAN'S EARNEST DESIRE LONDON, December 9. The Naval Conference seems checked from the start by the policy laid down by Professor Nagano at the International Press Conference. "The settled conviction of our Government," he said, "is that only by discarding the old ratio system of limitation and recognising equality in the national defence of each country may we hope to achieve a just and fair agreement." British and American opposition to Japanese parity is not likely to be lessened by the Japanese desire to fix the common upper limit as low as possible. Professor Nagano added: "It is our earnest desire to attain a just and fair agreement on , quantitative and qualitative limitation, seeking thereby to establish immutably, the principles of nonmenace and non-aggression among the great naval Powers, and reducing as much as possible the burdens of armament competition.