HOPE NOT ABANDONED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18585, 20 December 1934, Page 6

HOPE NOT ABANDONED

NAVAL DISCUSSIONS CONFERENCE ADJOURNED AN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE (British Official Wireless.) Ilec. 2 p.m. RUGBY, Dec. 19.

The preliminary naval conversations were adjourned to-day at a meeting under the. chairmanship of the PrimeMinister.

A communique issued later stated

“The conversations which started last June, and, after a recess, have been proceeding since. October 23, are agreed by the representatives of all three. Governments lu have, .served a osclul purpose. Every aspect of the naval problem has been discussed between the parties, frankly, fully, and amicably.

“ft was never the purpose of those preliminary conversations to reach any hard and last conclusion. The sole purpose was to prepare the ground for future negotiation and agreement. “The French and Italian Governments, also signatories of the present naval treaties, and associated with the discussions in the slimmer, have been kept informed of all developments. Although the three Governments represented in these conversations are in favor of a continuation of naval limitation, with such reduction as can bo agreed upon by all the I’owers concerned, the principle and methods for achieving this in future remained to bo determined.

“Now that the respective views have been made known and fully discussed, the conversations have reached a, stage, where it is felt that there should be an adjournment in order that the delegates may resume personal contact with their Governments, and the resulting situation can be fully analysed and further considered. It has, therefore, been agreed to adjourn the conversations at this point.’’ The Governments concerned in the London conversations will keep in close touch with each other, and with the other Governments which are parties to the London and Washington treaties. The adjournment will also give His Majesty’s Government an opportunity for further consultation with the Governments of the Dominions.

It is hoped that in view of the pieparatory work accomplished, the conversations will so develop as to justify a subsequent meeting a»soon as an opportune moment arrives. In that event, the Government of Ibo United. Kingdom, which initiated the present conversations, wifi take appropriate steps. vVliefi the United States and Japanese delegates have returned home and consulted their Governments, it is assumed that communications through normal diplomatic channels will take place on some of tiie several projects which have been under discussion during the Loudon conversations.

Of these substitute plans, , one, which probably will be closely examined by the Rowers in this way, is understood to provide for a voluntary unilateral announcement regarding a naval programme for a period of years in advance.

Although it is assumed that Japan will carry out her intention to give notice of the termination of the Washington Treaty, there is no inclination to regard such a step as ending the prospect of agreement on some such scheme, and the possibility is envisaged- of the parties getting sufficiently close to acceptance to make it worth while to meet again. It is pointed out that in any event, denunciation must be regarded as preliminary only, for the conference next year is provided for in the treaty, which remains in force until 1936.