PROCEDURE AT CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22823, 6 March 1936, Page 7

PROCEDURE AT CONFERENCE

(British Official Wireless) RUGBY, March 4. The French Ambassador called at the Foreign Office and had with the naval experts a general discussion on the future procedure at the conference. Its qualitative sub-committee will to-mor-row report on categories other than battleships, c the question of battleship limits, and zone construction between battleships and cruisers. CRITICISM OF WHITE PAPER LONDON, March 4. (Received March 5. at 8 p.m.) The Sun-Herald Agency says it is nowevident that the White Paper will bo attacked from all sides. The Conservatives are dissatisfied with it, though as a whole they arc not so condemnatory as the more extreme elements who, according to the Daily Mail, regard the programme as " vague, evasive, indefinite and nebulous." The Daily Express likewise joins the campaign, demanding " bigger and better things." The Sun-Herald Agency understands that a distinct possibility exists of units of the British Fleet being stationed in Australia and New Zealand as part of the policy of increasing the Empire's naval forces in the Pacific. It is improbable, however, that there will be a formidable concentration in Australia and New Zealand in view of the Commonwealth having her own navy of three cruisers, five destroyers, a sloop, and a plane carrier, and New Zealand having two cruisers and a sloop. The bulk of the British ships would probably be distributed on the China Station, Singapore, and Ceylon. The proposal may be said to be still in the discussion stage following conversations which Mr Norman Davis initiated with Britain's Naval Conference delegates, after which the dominions' representatives were consulted. According to the Sun-Herald Agency's information the Americans desire an Anglo-United States gentlemen's agreement on naval parity. The Americans suggested that the British and United States fleets in the Pacific should be strengthened as a "collective security" reminder to Japan. Mr Davis is reported to have intimated the United States's willingness to transfer more ships to the Pacific, if Britain would do likewise. GERMANY NOT PERTURBED LONDON, March 4.' (Received March 5, at 10.30 p.m.) The Times Berlin correspondent says: " Semi-official commentary indicates that Germany has no quarrel with the British White Paper on armaments and does not feel herself menaced. On the contrary, she holds the view that it is the right and duty of every nation to possess thv necessities of security. It adds that it is only fair and just to say that Germany should make the same claims for herself as she concedes to others." DOMINION EXPENDITURE < GOVERNED BY SPECIAL NEEDS. (Peb United Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 5. The Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) said to-day, discussing the British defence proposals, that the New Zealand Government had not yet completed its consideration of defence matters, but whatever money was expended on the defence of New Zealand would be expended in a commonsense way, and in accordance with the particular needs of the Dominion.