SEEKING PEACE

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1929, Page 9

SEEKING PEACE

FEARS OF WAR BANISHED ACHIEVED MORE THAN HOPED ANGLO-AMERICAN PARLEY STATEMENT BY LEADERS By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Australian Press Association. Received Oct. 10, 7 p.m. United Service. Washington, Oct. 9. Mr, Ramsay MacDonald to-day said iie had achieved more than he hoped for in his talks' with President Hoover. They had agreed to keep the Kellogg Pact in front of them “to use it for the purpose of coming'to an agreement on the subjects, which defied agreement up to now.” “In consequence of that,” added Mr. MacDonald, “I take with me to London a series of questions, all of which will now be the subject of study by the various departments concerned and of consideration between the Dominions and ourselves with the object of coming to an agreement upon them.”

Senator Borah, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a vigorous advocate of the freedom of the eeas, said he had enjoyed a “very satisfactory” talk with the Prime Minister a't the British Embassy, but he refused to discuss the meeting in detail.

Mr. Hoover and Mr. MacDonald joined on Wednesday night in announcing that their conversations had been based on the assumption that war between the United States and Britain had been banished, and ‘that in consequence a satisfactory solution of old historical problems between the two. nations had become possible. While the problems are not specified in the statement there is little doubt that the principle one was the freedom of the seas, which has been the cause of many controversies in the past.'

Mr. Hoover and. Mr. MacDonald asserted that on the assumption “that conflicts between the naval and military forces cannot take place, these problems had changed their meaning and character, and their solution in ways satisfactory to both countries had become possible.”

A brief explanatory statement by way of introduction declares that both Mr. Hoover and Mr. MacDonald are “highly gratified by the keen interest” taken by the peoples of both countries in their meeting, and that the two statesmen regard it as proof of the desire of each nation for closer AngloAmerican understanding. There is no escaping the feeling, says a Montreal message, that the joint statement of Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Hoover is a good deal disappointing to those with reason to expect it would give fairly definite terms of the topics discussed. It is known that originally the statement was much longer and was cut down after a consultation, deleting specific information. This was done for obvious political reasons. Although Mr. MacDonald while here is in daily telephonic communication with Downing Street it is, of' course, known that further consultation with his Cabinet is necessary before it can be disclosed to the public what he and the President discussed. It is understood, moreover, that Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Hoover also considered the Allied debts, but it is believed it was more in the nature of only academic consideration. Furthermore, it is believed they concluded the question of the freedom of the seas would find its solution in the Kellogg anti-war pact, and the world may expect the enunciation of a new doctrine concerning the rights of neutral shipping in times of war which will take account of the sensibilities of both nations with respect to their traditional policies. The feeling is that the conversations were a remarkable beginning, presaging further diplomatic discussions with extremely important results. “MADE FURTHER STEP FORWARD.” COMMENT OF BRITISH PRESS. British Official Wireless. Rugby, Oct. 9. The British invitation to the Five Power Naval Conference in London next January is generally described in Press comment, as marking a further step forward. The Daily Mail says: “The terms of the invitation are wide and will carefully safeguard the entire freedom of action of every Government concerned. It is suggested’ that the conference shall reconsider the battleship replacement programme of the Washington Treaty, and that it shall consider the categories of cruisers, destroyers, and submarines, etc., not covered by that treaty.” The Daily Telegraph says: “'London and Washington are seeking to give a lead in .1 new approach to the problem of naval disarmament. The lead comes naturally from the two Powers whose interest in that problem is greatest and who have now happily succeeded in adjusting those matters of difference which existed. The proposals are as plain and frank as the purpose of the -statesmanship which has'prompted them.” ■ The Daily News says: “There is no question of an exclusive alliance between Great Britain and the United States. Other naval Powers have been kept fully informed of the course of the (negotiations, and, as Mr, MacDonald himself pointed out in his address to the American Senators, neither in Great Britain nor in the United States would the idea of an exclusive alliance be tolerated.” The Daily Chronicle says that the whole position has been fundamentally altered* by the Kellogg Pact. All the great Powers have signed an undertakin" to renounce the policy of war, and, jf'that undertaking means what it says, the signatories need no longer arm one against another. They can safely prove their sincerity by turning some at least of their swords into ploughshares. The Manchester Guardian says: “The Anglo-American cruiser agreement is born of a confidence wliieh admits inferiority at a point where each side has hitherto stipulated for at least equality. That degree of confidence does not yet exist among European Powers, but, short of that, much may be achiev-

ed. Even arithmetical limitation will be fruitful. It can be progressively increased, as is now to be done with battleships, because, after all, if only equality or a fixed ratio is allowed, one may as well have it as cheaply as possible, while the scaling down of armaments and the absence of competition tend in themselves to help the growth of confidence on which we must depend for the major results.” FRENCH CABINET'S ATTITUDE. ITALY’S OBJECTION TO PARITY. Paris, Oct. 9. The Cabinet gave preliminary consideration to the invitation to the naval conference and deferred a reply till Cabinet meets on October 15. Meanwhile the Navy Minister, M. Leygues, will prepare a statement of France’s needs. Individual Ministers foreshadowed a cordial reception of the conference, but sufficient was said to indicate that France wL- resolutely refuse parity with Italy. ■ ;