HOPES NOT ABANDONED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17228, 7 April 1930, Page 7

HOPES NOT ABANDONED

THE NAVAL CONFERENCE THREE POWERS AGREED OTHERS MAY JOIN IN. (British Official Wireless.) Hoc. noon. ill GH\. April 6. As was anticipated, the London Naval Ci n i fere live has undergone no change during the week-end. Many of the delegates attended the England versus Scotland football match yesterday afternoon and at its conclusion the Prime Minister motored to Chequers, where he .spent a quiet day.

I'm day. no important inlevviews having been arranged, most of I lie other iieDgates spent the ilav oat of London.

M. Itriaml. as already stated, left yesterday afternoon for l’aris to consult his Government, and he is not, expected t i return until Tuesday. Pending his return it is unlikely that any important change in the situation will take place, as the political questions which have been the subject of conversations between France and Britain form the cliiet obstacle for further advance.

No fewer than nine questions are down for answer in the House of Commons to-morrow hearing on the political aspect of the conference, and the interpretation of article 16 of the League covenant. They display a fear that a formula interpreting Britain’s obligations under existing pacts anil convenants might imply a. new guarantee to France. It has, however been repeatedly stated by the Prime Minister that the Government. while willing to define and explain tin' oxteni of Britain’s undertakings, is not ’ prepared to increase her commitments. U.S. DELEGATE HOPEFUL. The Observer, which emphasises that if any practical or far-reaching agreement on naval reductions is to he achieved Franco must be a party to it. says: “If it. be found possible to gratify France by a restatement of the existing obligations, whether embodied in a covenant or in the Locarno loiter to Germany, and thereby, after all, to induce France to agree to the serious business of naval disarmament it is clearly Hie duty of British diplomacy to explore such an avenue. That is Hie deliberate view of the British delegation.’’ Hugh Gibson, American Ambassador to Belgium, and one of the American delegates to the conference, delivered a radio address to the United States this afternoon. He said that during the past week a definite agreement had been reached between tile United States, Great Britain, and Japan. It meant that from the fleets of the three powers nine battleships were, to ho scrapped without replacement. Under the terms of this arrangement, the Japanese battleship fleet would consist of nine battleships. The reduction of the combined battleship fleets of the three countries would, therefore, equal in numbers the third largest battleship licet in the world.

Under the terms of the Washington Treaty, the United States, Great Britain. and Japan were committed to the laying down of 26 battleships between now and 1936. Under the arrangements of last week not one battleship would be laid down during the next six years. A great- achievement of this conference was that it had arrived at a basis for limiting all kinds of vessels in (lie three largest fleets, cruisers, destroyers, and submarine tonnage. Under this, limitation would ho far below the lowest limit which was discussed at Geneva in 1927. The results attained so far were beyond reasonable expectations. There was good reason to hope that a fivepower agreement might ho signed before the conference concluded. If a full measure of that agreement could not he had at this session, a three-power agreement, could be made on the basis which would welcome as parties to it the other two powers when their difficulties had been solved. “A HOPELESS POSITION” DELEGATES PREPARE TO LEAVE PESSIMISTIC FORECAST (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Ascm.) LONDON, April 5. A diplomatic cm 'respondent says the naval conference is drawing to an end. the Anglo-French negotiations have curnc to no conclusion and the prospect of success is minute. I lie Italians are pressing for a final plenary session next week. M. Briand, after luncheon with Mr. MacDonald, discussed Hie situation uy telephone with M. Tardieu in Paris, and informed him that they had concluded the position was hopeless. The latest British suggestions are unacceptable and the seaicdi for a formula must he abandoned. Americans feel that Britain and France have been trying to do a job too big for the time and place. The correspondent forecasts that Anglo-French negotiations will be abandoned during the week-end when a plenary session will he held. About Wednesday the technical work of drafting the three-pov er pact should begin mil it should be ready for signing before Easter, enabling Mr. Stimson to join the liner Leviathan on Easter Tuesday. The Morning Post’s special correspondent unileistands that serious differences •lave arisen in Cabinet on the subject of the French demands. Some Ministers are opposed to any ionnula, however mild, committing Britain further. Signor Grandi proposes to depart on April 15 because lie has urgent engagements in Koine.

M. Doumergtio, in a speech to the Chamber of Commerce, stressed the necessity for France to become a great naval constructing nation in order to assure the security and the development of her colonial trade and protection of her overseas commerce.

NEW JAPANESE MOVE STRONG AIR FORCE ALTERNATIVE TO CRUISERS

(Received April 7, 11 a.m.) TOKIO, April 6,

Ostensibly as compensation for disappointment concerning the failure to secure their demands at tin; naval conference, naval experts are now demanding an expansion of air service. J hey propose the creation of a further 10 aviation corps, for which they request the (lovernnient to allot the major portion of the money saved by not building battleships.