REDUCTION OF ARMAMENTS

Otago Witness, Issue 3489, 25 January 1921, Page 25

REDUCTION OF ARMAMENTS

DREADNOUGHTS NEEDED FOR DEFENCE. NEW YORK, January 18. A correspondent of the Chicago Tri* bune interviewed Admiral Von Scheef (commander of the German fleet at the battle of Jutland), who said that the proposals throughout the world to abandon the building of capital ships is unwise. It is true, he said, that submarines must be developed to their utmost, since the destruction of enemy trade affords hitherto undreamed-of defences but a great fleet of dreadnoughts is also needed to safeguard the ooast lines and submarine bases. Each weapon has As uses, and each nation has its own coastal problems, and each must adopt an individual programme. The great lesson learned from the -war was this: that the nations owning submarines were practicallv secure against invasion by sea. Submarines, however, had not killed the capital ship. AN EYE ON JAPAN. WASHINGTON, January 21. The Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee decided to undertake the special study of the political and strategic positions in the Pacific, embracing the stataa of Yap and other ex-German islands north, of the equator, and the question of the former German cables to Y'ap. A ena !^ r Lodge conferred with the Hon. J. VV. Davis, who will appear before the committee and communicate various unpublished documents drawn up at the Peace Conference concerning the subject. UTILITY OF BIG SHIPS. LONDON, January 21. The Daily Mirror publishes remarkable references to the naval policy. It states: “The Government intends to submit the bier battleship programme to the June conference ; but from the British viewpoint the burial of German sea power has iundamentally altered naval strategy. Australia believes the Pacific will be the next storm centre; hence she is particularly concerned about what to use in far-off waters. H Australia wants big ships she may be prepared to pay. Britain could hardly be expected to shoulder the burden of paying for gigantic floating fortresses generally, believed to be useless, simply because Aum tralia wants them.” From statements given by leading politicians and naval experts the foregoing is not the view of the present authorities, though the question of contributions will certainly be raised in June. REDUCTION IN MEDITERRANEAN. PARIS, January 21. The suppression of the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron is the outstanding feature of the 1921 naval armaments scheme. The Mediterranean Squadron will be comprised of four battleships, three battlecruisers, two squadrons of six torpedoboats to each squadron, eight ex German, torpedo-boats, with a reserve division ot three battleships and battle-cruisers, four torpedo-boats. The Atlantic division wall comprise two cruisers and the West Africa division a cruiser and two sloops. The Far East division will remain stationed in* the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. DIS YRMAMENT CONFERENCE SUGGESTED. WASHINGTON, January 22. Senator Root, who is prominently mentioned as a likely member of Mr Harding 9 Cabinet, has sent a letter to the Naval Committee of the House of Representatives urging that Mr Harding should call a disarmament conference.