Fruits of Naval Parley

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 732, 3 August 1929, Page 9

Fruits of Naval Parley

ACCORD ON FOUR POINTS Dawes-MacDonald Effort AMERICAN CONFIRMATION LACKING I United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright i (Australian and N.Z. Press Association > (United Service) Received 11 a.m. LOXDO.V. Friday. THE “Evening Standard'’ asserts that the Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, and tlie American Ambassa- , dor, Mr. C. G. Datves, reached a formula restricting the building- of battleships, decreasing their size, and prolonging the life of those now in commission. They declare their willingness to stop building submarines. This, the paper states, will form the basis of the communications to France, Italy and Japan.

Speaking at Malvern, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, said there could be no complaint at the Government suspending a fresh naval programme if there were a real chance of an agreement with the other Powers. However, he said he thought is unnecessary and rash to interfere with the existing British programme. There was a tendency on the part of a new party in power to try to move too quickly, but “more haste less speed” was truer in international politics than in any other walk of life.

coupled with reduction means a great deal, but parity coupled merely with limitations means very little.” If he understood aright, the reports issued by the United States Navy Department, Britain now had 59 modern cruisers, and eight more in course of construction. These constituted 375,300 tons. On the other hand, America now had IS modern cruisers, built or under construction. If Britain would follow America’s example at the Washington Conference, and sink some of her ships, and thus come to parity, it would not only save the taxpayers, but reduce the incentive to war. If America had to build up to parity, it would vastly increase the burden of the taxpayer, and augment the incentive to war. What America really desired was a reduction of armaments. That was the primary thing for which she was contending. If parity were used to justify building huge armaments, it would become a menace instead of a security. Mr. Borah said he noticed from London dispatches that Britain would not reduce her cruisers. That was very discouraging news.