THE CRUISER CONTROVERSY.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 91, 29 November 1928, Page 5

THE CRUISER CONTROVERSY.

SENATOR TAKES UNUSUAL LINE. PRIVATE MESSAGE SUGGESTING CONFERENCE WASHINGTON, November 27. Iteprasentatlye Brliten, chairman of tho 'H/ouse of Represennatives? Naval Affairs Committee, has sent, a prtvnt,, cablegram, to tho British Prime Minister, Mr Stanley Baldwin, proposing (hat the committee should meet in Canada with tho Parliamentary Naval Coiniirtittee to discuss the cruiser controversy between tlifl United States and Britain. He m not consult President Co»li<fcge or the State Department before, acting upon his own initiative, stated Mr Britten, hut "prepared the, message in my office and sent) it as any private message-."

NOTHING IMPROPER. Mr Britten said there was nothing improper in his cablegram because he acted not only in his capacity of chairman of the committee but also as vice-presMent of the Interparliamentary Union. State Department officials have recalled an old statute forbidding direct communication between a private citizen of the United States and a foreign Government about State affairs, but it' is suggested this was intended to apply to persons revealing information in a harmful way, and Mr Britten was trying to be helpful. PERSONAL DISCUSSIONS. "Recalling your publicly-expressed desire on Armistice Day for more frequent personal discussions between American an-d British representatives and remembering very pleasantly my personal participation in the interparliamentary conferences both here and in Europe," states Mr Britten's cable, "I am impelled to suggest 1 a meeting of the Committee of Naval Affairs of the United States House of Representatives and a selected committee of members of Parliament 1 for th e purpose of friendly discussion and hearing testimony in connection with applying the principle of equality in sea power between Britain and the United States not already covered by the Washington Treaty. FAILURE OF CONFERENCE. "The meeting could take place preferably in Canada after March 4, 1929. Each committee will report with recommendations to its respective Government as may now be done annually by the various groups of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. "Where there is so much regret among the poeple of England and America over the failure of the last Geneva limitation conference surely some way should be found of meeting before Is3l, when the Ave leading naval Powers will again assemble

at Washington. "I shall respect your personal desires in connection with these suggestions," the cablegram concludes. "Failure of past limitation conferences in many quarters has been attributed to their being composed of military men." says Mr Britten explaining the cablegram, "and while I do not agree with this presumption I would prefer both committees to be composed entirely of non-mili-tary men.

NEVER BEEN COMPETITIVE. "America's naval policy has never been competitive, but on the contrary has always been defensive and barely commensurate with the United States' world position, We actually have been backward in promoting new national defence. "The American people favour general armament reduction, but only to the limit of safety. Paciiism will never reign in our red-blooded country. If it should we are lost. • "England and America should lead the way now towards naval limitation and peaceful understanding on the seak. We must never be re- 1 garded as* military competitors."

RESENTMENT [LIKELY. The New York Times' Washington correspondent states Mr Britten's course is likely to arouse resentment in the administration and bring an accusation that his proposal is intended, t'o, giv e him publicity. It goes without saying that the Senate will be provoked, to say the least, over the proposal that 1 the House of Representatives alone should represent the United States in the suggested international conference, states the correspondent. Canadian Government officials at Ottawa state the suggestion by Mr Britten is the first intimation there of any proposal for such a meeting. The suggestion is viewed in Canadian official circles as a "very interesting one."