PLENARY SESSION TO-DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1930, Page 11

PLENARY SESSION TO-DAY

NAVAL parley PROGRESS AGREEMENT ON THE AGENDA MEETINGS OF DELEGATES ; Jhitish .Wireless.- - Rugby,-Jan. 20, The heads of the five delegations the naval' conference ■’. decided. tha4 enough ground had been .cleared in th«> .course of their, discussions and private conversations to justify calling a plen*. ary session. As the British Cabinet Council is held weekly on Wednesday mornings, it was decided •to nleet the convenience of- the' British delegates. by, holding (he session on Thiilsday at St. James’ Riilace. 'As many representatives of the Press as.can be probably about 80, will.be admitted to the conference room, and it is. expected that the' proceeding, will bp made aud> ible to others in the adjpining, room by means of ’ microphones and. . .loud, speakers. • ' . . ;

It is understood, that this morning's meeting agreed to the agenda; although the order in which the items figure on it is liable to be changed by the course of the discussions. A sub-committee, which will act as a “steering committee” was set up to regulate the agenda as required. . ,

While outwardly the progress so -far made at the conference appears to be slight, the general impression of delegates and experts is that matters are shaping themselves not unsatisfactorily. > This evening the Japanese and British Commonwealth delegates discussed questions of mutual interest and referred certain points to experts’ for a report. An official communique stafos: “The French and British Commonwealth delegations met this evening and considered the reports of the experts on matters connected with the methods of limitation of naval armaments. i ANGLO-AMERICAN PARITY.' , Mr. H. L .Stimson in his broadcast address this evening said: “Parity between Great Britain and America is not ( a doctrine of naval rivalry; rather it is .a slogaii of mutual- confidence, as. well as a’means.of mutual disarmament. We •in America know that so long as parity •is maintained we can safely reduce our l . .naVy "down as far as Great Britain .will reduce her navy. Mr. MacDonald’s announcement in Washington last Oc-: tober that Great Britain agreed, to this; policy of naval parity with America did <■ more to relieve’* the feeling of anxiety '■ and. irritation which had followed, tlie ! failure of the'naval'conference .in Gen-* i eva in 1927 than any other single event,’', f Mr. Stimsdii '.said the . American gation hoped, firstly, to make aji ni it with thb' nations represented at . the conference which would end compel - ti'ion in cruisers and destroyers, and secondly, to abolish submarines. . . - 1 The official spokesman, clearing up confusion relating to the agenda dismissions, explained that last week-end t the secretary of the general conference circulated a list of obvious questions that the conference had taken up. When tliis list reached various delegates they added other questions they wished in*, eluded. Though this increased tjie list, it made clear the outstanding issues likely to prove most-difficult. He said that the discussion in reference to the opposing ideas of prior consideration of global or category ton-, nages was progressing towards a «omproinise. .Piegarding the plenary session • on Thursday, the size of thejroom pre-r eluded the provision of more than’'7B press seats, these being allotted as fol; • lows: Britain, and the Dominions 12 each, the United States and. France' 12 each, Japan 11, Italy 6, other nationalities 13. Arrangements will be made to have the whole proceeding broadcast. ! Broadcasting, to. America from 2LO, ’ Mr. H. S. Stimson mentioned that among the aims of the conference was the abolition of submarines, .If tjiat '. were impossible then they would aim at a. reduction .in numbers and the prevention of .their use against merchantmen in the ruthless and.inhuman manner as in the last war. . SAVING ON BATTLESHIPS. ; An . agreement to reduce battleships would be -the greatest contribution to international goodwill. • Such a. reduction would relieve the United States in tho - next six years . from spending. SOO.OOp.fIOO dollars on battleships, and probably the same amount in the following six years. . • '•'■ ... *• • “W 7 e have confidence iii each..other's' determination to make a long step forward in human , progress and international goodwill/,’ stated Mr. StijnsOn, . who asked Americans not to be troubled, by. reports of. a crisis cabled, by journalists. He said these reports.were unfounded. There were rip, crises,.and only . friendly goodwill. - He added,:.; “We think we can. make the conference •a• success.” ‘ r Though the British ■ spokesman liinted ; that the plenary proceeding would prob-: ably largo relieve the ‘ press officers of j •' the:daily .dutyiof denying.conjectures, it is stated that'Britaiii' expected greater headway' with the agenda; Indeed,....all ; the Dominion -representatives were twice : su'rinn oned on '.Monday; but the call ,was| eo;intermanded at the last .miiuite. It; is explained, that all the Dominion dple-■ jjates will not have seats on tfie agenda ’ : Aohnnittee, but one will probably sit in I'oiatidii as an observer •for- the rest. , ! M'. Tardieu: says the ' plenary conference will first consider France’s plan for global tonnage with categories adjust-p able to national needs; secondly, Brit-i . ain’s category proposal; thirdly, Italy’s, suggestion of an allocation of a definite ! tonnage to each, nation. . - ; Signor Grandi intimated that this was i a general principle to which Italy ,was jio.i; committed absolutely. .. " ’London has acquired a new season, *. which might be called a “conference season.” The' West End is more cosmopolitan than ever, especially at luncheon time. Tn the evenings .the wives of ; American, Italian, French and Japanese , delegates are almo c t overwhelmed with invitations, many of * which’take-them into stately homes and historic hopses never before seen by American visitors: Mr. Wakatsuki has broadcast a speech to America declaring: “Japan is j content with an inferior naval strength to either Britain or America. Our only solicitude is national security, for which we. seek a minimum force in units which, while insufficient for offensive’ • lpj-, ; adequate, to safe-; hiiard- hqmffj wftt?vs;‘;extending .from the < Uopio to tbe< frigid zone,/and:-the trade - routes which are vital to our existence. 5 ■