NAVAL ARMAMENTS

Otago Witness, Issue 3488, 18 January 1921, Page 15

NAVAL ARMAMENTS

THE PROPOSED LIMITATION. NEW YORK, January 11. Mr Josephus Daniels (Secretary of the Navy), testifying before the Naval Committee, said that a Conference of Nations to arrange an agreement for disarmament was advisable. Senator Harding intended to strive for this. Until that conference secured a world agreement let there be no cessation of building ships already authorised by Congress. Air Daniels advised Senator Harding to convene a meeting of all nations to discuss disarmament. WASHINGTON, January 11. Air Daniels declared that a naval hoii day between Great Britain, Japan, and the United States would breed suspicion and distrust and would not secure a permanent reduction of armaments. ATTITUDE OF JAPAN. TOKIO, January 12. The newspapers are oiscussing the disarmament proposals. The Jiji Shimpo urges the Government not to wait for a lead from the other nations, but boldly- to make proposals. It says that Japan is bound, as a Great Power, to exert herself, not only in the interests of the world at large, but in her highest self-interest, for one-half of her total national expenditure is devoted to armaments. It suggests that the army be reduced one-half, thereby setting ail example to the world and removing the suspicions entertained against her. The Kokumin Shimbun says that America is taking the lead in the movement, while Britain and Japan are silent. If America is anxious over the situation, the best she can do is to join the League of Nations. QUESTION OF DOAIINION CONTRIBUTIONS. LONDON, January 10. The naval authorities and the Admiralty explain the reason why Australasia was not represented on the committee which is examining the future question of naval construction, is that Australasia is not contributing to the cost of the Britisn fleet, but the committee’s findings, and the full evidence will be available for the dominion Governments as soon as possible. When asked whether the Admiralty’s view with regard to contributions took into account the cost of the Australian and New Zealand navies, the authorities replied that a scheme would be brought before the Imperial Conference in June, providing that the dominions contribute a larger share of the cost of Empire defence; b it this will not entail any- alteration of the existing policies of local navies. The Admiralty is not at present disposed to view battleships as finished, arid the conference thus may decide on the transference of British squadrons to the Pacific. If so, they will probably be based on the most suitable strategical harbours. FUTURE OF THE PACIFIC. LONDON, January 12. The Admiralty emphatically denies any foundation for the statements which were published in Australia and America regarding British-American co-opcration in the Pacific, or any other overt action calculated to implicate the dominions in any new naval enterprises. The Admiralty informed the Australian Press Association that it is absolutely untrue that there_ are any proposals for the American, Canadian, ana Australian fleets to work together in the Pacific or any-wliere else. The Admiralty is unawa e of any proposal for the dominions to cooperate independently. The British navy on the contrary, had maintained a close

liaison with the naval forces throughout the Empire, which rendered independent action by any- one part practically impossible. It denied that any- proposal was formulated for increased naval contributions from the dominions. That was a matter entirely for the dominions. Should the necessity for increased contrL butions on a broader naval policy arise at a future date it would be first discussed by the naval representatives of the Empire, then by the Imperial Defence Committee, and finally- by the Governments concerned. No such necessity had yet arisen. It was more than possible that the future programme would be discussed at the next Imperial Conference, but that was a matter within the province of the Prime Alinister, who would draft the agenda later. The sub-committee of the Admiralty was restricting its inquiry to the technical utility and technical value of battleships. The dominions would be informed of tha results. COST OF NAVAL CONSTRUCTION. LONDON, January 15. The Daily Chronicle states that the Subcommittee of the Council of Imperial Defence has come to a momentous decision against the continuation of the big ship policy on the ground that it involves the country in a naval expenditdre which is crushing, and which will make the effort to reduce the war debt impossible. _ Tha enormous expense not only _ applies to battleships but to docks and aircraft, and to the flotillas of cruisers and destroyers necessary to protect the big vessels. The Chronicle adds :—“ The decision along these lines may cost the fleet tha services of Lord Beatty, but if he agrees the sub committee and Lord Beatty will earn the gratitude of their countrymen. INTERNATIONAL DISARMAMENT. WASHINGTON, January 15. The House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously approved the resolution requesting the President to call an international disarmament conference. HEALTHY PUBLIC SENTIMENT. NEW YORK, January 15. The New York World, which is conducting a disarmament campaign, has secured an exclusive statement from Senator Alillen, of Australia, who is in London. Senator Alillen said : ‘‘lt will be a sorry commentary on the heroic effoi’ts of the nations which fought tha war if we emerge from the horrors of the prolonged struggle only again to shackle ourselves to the intolerable burden of huge and costly armaments. A naval holiday or the diminution of armaments is all eminently desirable thing.” Continuing, he said that the high expenditures on a new race for naval supremacy would be deplorable, not onto because of the crushing financial burden, but also because it would breed distrust and irritation. How an understanding was to be rea-ched, however, was by no means so easy of solution. Probably the most useful course now would be to create a healthy public sentiment favourable to such an understanding. This, sooner or later, would lead those in executive authority to find the nirons for producing the necessary proposals.