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DISPUTED POINTS

NAVAL LIMITATION THE AMERICAN PROPOSALS ' SUMBARINE PLANS OPPOSED (British Official Wireless.) Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, June 22. According to press telegrams from Geneva, Admiral Saito, the chief Japanese delegate at the Naval Conference, announced to Air. Gibson, tlie chief United States delegare, that while willing to make concessions oh other points Japan could not accept the 5-fi-il ratio' for other than capital ships, as Japan must adapt her navy to the special needs of her position.

The proposals of the three Powers continue to lie discussed mid examined in committee and outside. In particular, there is interest in the extent to which, acceptance will be forthcoming for the principles underlying the British proposals, which ore an extension of the accepted life of ships, thereby postponing renewal and effecting obvious economy, and the reduction in the size of the guns carried. The British proposals would not disturb the Washington Conference ratio regarding Capital ships., but it is proposed that capital ships should have their life extended from 20 to 25 years, their tonnage reduced from, 35,000 to 30,000 tons,' and the, size of their guns reduced front Hi'in. to 13.5 in.

' In regard to other ships, it is clear that the thiee countries arc differently situated and have therefore, different needs. Consequently, the best procedure in tlie British view is that the delegation should lay all their cards on the table and state precisely what they want and why they want it. Itwould then be immediately apparent to naval ■ technicians whether the specified requirements are justifiable for defensive purposes, and a process of mutual scaliug down- would liecome feasible.

Some surprise is expressed in British circles at the part of the American schedule in which a destroyer is allowed a tonnage up to 3000 tons, and a cruiser up to 10,000 tons, exclusive of fuel, which would .inea.li a further increase of several hundred tons. These figures, are considered unnecessarily high, and a destroyer of 30,00 tons is generally classed as almost a cruiser. The British scheme proposes' 1400'"tons for destroyers and 1750 tons for flotilla leaders, and 7500 for all'cruisers not covered by the Washington agreement. The point, is important in view of the general tendency to build to the maximum permissible. In regard to submarines, Britain also advocates a limit of 1000 tons surface displacement, of large submarines. If submarines are to be regarded as defensive weapons, then there should be a very considerable reduction in their size; It is contended that submarines between 1200 and 2000 tons are not defensive. Act-. ing defensively off the Coast they need not be anything approaching that size.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PBH19270623.2.90

Bibliographic details

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16374, 23 June 1927, Page 8

Word Count
438

DISPUTED POINTS Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16374, 23 June 1927, Page 8

DISPUTED POINTS Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16374, 23 June 1927, Page 8