NAVAL DISARMAMENT

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 30

NAVAL DISARMAMENT

POSSIBILITY OF BREAKDOWN. 1 SPECIAL CABINET MEETING. LONDON, July ?9. Ministers going on holiday were recalled $o attend a special meeting of the Cabinet < to consider an urgent telegram from the 1 British delegation at Geneva. ’ 1 PREPARING AMERICA’S i STATEMENT. NEW YORK, July CO. 1 The New York Times Washington correspondent states that on the ground that no good can come from the plenary’ session at Geneva, at which the Powers will present statements explanatory of their positions, and in view of the apparent collapse of the conference, consideration was given to-day by officials to plans for a final adjournment without a public session. Official action in the matter has not yet been fully determined. /There are indications, meanwhile, that the plenary session may not meet until perhaps Wednesday, additional time being required for the preparation of the final statements of the various delegations. The source of the suggestion for an adjournment without a plenary . session was not revealed, but it has received the serious attention of officials here. It is apparently felt that the utterance of conflicting views would not contribute to the deliberations and might further strain international relations. The final adjournment could be taken by resolution at a private or public meeting. I Further conferences were held to-day by Messrs Wilbur and Kellogg and their | assistants, but it is understood that the discussions were confined to the final detail for concluding the conference. A despatch from Rapid City states that Mr Coolidge is preparing a statement for presen...-tion by Mr Gibson at the conference. It is understood that the President feels there is necessity for a strong restatement of America’s position relative to limitation, and since he regards limitation as one of his major foreign policies, he desires personally to. write the statement. It is reported that Mr Gibson’s speech before the conference will intimate that Britain entered the conference without expectations of meeting compromises on cruiser strength, and this prevented, to a great degree, the conference reaching an agreement. It is understood that this will be presented as Mr Coolidge’s view. Mr Coolidge is now interested in seeing the conference terminated without developing any animosities, and without injury to the United State’s relations with world Powers. SITUATION UNCHANGED.

GENEVA, July 31. The situation is unchanged. The principal delegates have not seen each other since the eventful meeting of Thursday. The impression prevails that if the British proposals are rejected, Mr Bridgeman is ready with a plan for a naval holiday for the three Powers, for a definite period, in which an agreement regarding future building might be reached diplomatically. PRESIDENT COOLIDGE’S STATEMENT. NEW YORK, July 30. ' The New York World's Rapid City correspondent states that the responsibility tor the impasse at Geneva was placed on the British by President Coolidge, who stated to-day that he believes the position taken by Britain’s representatives is a bar to agreement among the participating Powers. He is still hopeful that the discussion will eliminate some of the difficulties, and that the British will modify their position. Unless there is modification, he sees no hope for an agreement on naval limitation. There was evident disappointment in the President’s attitude to-day, although he feels no ill-result can follow from the conference, even if it fails to attain its objective. He appears reluctant to concede that the United States would necessarily be a party to competitive cruiser building in the event of failure. FINAL BREAKDOWN FEARED. LONDON, July 29. Official circles in London deny that Mr Bridgeman reported any definite American refusal to accept Britain’s modified proposals, nevertheless unofficial but wellinformed quarters infer that Mr Bridgeman’s report leaves little ground for optimism, and definitely prepares the Government for a final breakdown at Monday’s plenary session at Geneva. Correspondents agree that the delegations have not completely abandoned all hope of an agreement, but pessimism is g-eneral in all three camps. Everything now depends upon President Coolidge’s reply, which is expected during the weekend. There is a suggestion that the Japanese are working hard behind the scenes as mediators. Tonnage totals, and the calibre of guns are still the chief stumbling blocks to the Americans’.