BEHIND THE DELEGATES

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1930, Page 9

BEHIND THE DELEGATES

ARMY OF ONE THOUSAND

AN INVASION OF LONDON GIGANTIC CONFERENCE By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 10.35 p.m. London, Jan. 17. An idea of the organisation required to bring about international conferences may be realised from the fact that approximately 1000 people are coming to London in connection with the Naval Conference. Thirty delegates will meet in the conference chamber. Behind each are naval experts, official advisers, political, private and departmental secretaries and typists. Twenty-two admirals will be in attendance. The seven United States delegates will be accompanied by 100 experts and secretaries, 20 women typistes and 40 journalists. Many conference delegates are bringing their wives, who will enjoy shopping and sight-seeing. The Americans have taken the two top floors at the Ritz Hotel. The Japanese are staying at Grosvenor House and have also taken a house round the corner for their organisation. It will be a change for, those attending to have English as the official language. It is expected the proceedings will be translated into French. FATE OF THE BATTLESHIP. PROBLEM FOR CONFERENCE. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Jan.- 16. Exactly- what are the British intentions at the naval conference regarding battleship is being prominently discussed in the newspapers. The general feeling is that the Government will not propose their immediate abolition. This ihight be the cherished dream of the Cabinet idealists, who are prepared to go to any length in disarmament for the sake of world peace, but in deference to the Admiralty experts Mr. MacDonald wilt probably be content to seek a lengthening of the life of the existing ships to avoid replacement, but, if the latter is necessary, his policy will most likely be that there should be smaller tonnage and gun calibres. There is no denying the fact that Germany has set a new problem with her pocket battleship Ersatz Preussen, which it is claimed is able to smash any cruiser and also to escape from any battleship. The Ersatz is a -very direct reminder of the need of- the most extreme care and foresight, in fixing the new tonnage limits for battleships, because she is virtually a battleship within the Washington cruiser limit. French semi-official opinion is that Mr. MacDonald is not expressing the British Navy view when he advocates the abolition of capital ships. M. Tardieu docs not conceal his opinion that the conference will reveal .a wide divergence between the British and American views regarding battleships, enabling France to counter any concerted move to abolish submarines. Both the Foreign and Navy Offices in France definitely decline to assent to the abolition of submarines till all surface ships have been abolished. It is stated that there is no foundation for the anti-Government Press suggestions that the Dominion delegates were not consulted in referenc to the British Government’s policy. A Dominion representative states:— “Mr. MacDonald so fully, ably and completely outlined the policy that the Dominion delegates, of their own volition, cancelled their arrangements for a furIther meeting to-day.”