NAVAL TREATY

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1931, Page 7

NAVAL TREATY

AGREEMENT PREDICTED

ANGLO-FRANCO-ITALIAN MOVE

BRITISH MINISTERS IN PARIS

/ CONCESSIONS BY FRANCE

FEW POINTS TO BE SETTLED

By Telegraph—Press Awn.—Copyright. J London, Feb. 23. Events have moved quickly in connection with the Anglo-Franco-Italian disarmanEent negotiations and two British Ministers accompanied by experts have

gcjja to Paris to continue the conversalt is therefore considered an agreement must be in sight. An announcement was made in the House of Commons this evening that the .Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon. Arthur Henderson, and the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. V. Alexander, left London for Paris to-day to continue the discussions with the French Government on the question. It was also stated the other Powers that were signatories to the London Naval Treaty had been kept informed of these developments. The Ministers were accompanied by Mr. R. L. Craigie, of the Foreign Office, who on various occasions since last year’s London naval conference has visited Paris and Rome to discuss the naval building programmes with the French and Italian experts, and who a few days ago returned from Paris, where he had discussions with M. Massigli. Mr. Walford Selby, of the Foreign Office, and. Commander Bittleston, of the Admiralty, are also of the party. Mr. Craigie was Mr. MacDonald’s righthand man at the Naval Conference, since when the negotiations have been continuous. The real climax came when Mr. Henderson and M. Bpiand recently went to Geneva to a meeting of the League of Nations Council in the same compartjZient. There Mr. 'Henderson apparently secured certain concessions from M. Briand which hitherto were feared could not be achieved, culminating in to-day’s hurried trip. Official circles suggest that two members of Cabinet would not make such a journey unless an agreement was near. It is believed that an agreement would not include the full concessions Britain desired, but it is considered sufficient to insure Britain an undertaking that no -new building beyond what the London agreement provides, though the existing tonnage will not be reduced. This is embodied in Article 21 of. the recent treaty, known as the “escalator” clause, involving the transference of tonnage. All of Britain’s recent efforts have sought to prevent this being invoked and to persuade the French Government to accept certain reductions of its London programme. This building entailed Britain following suit at an enormous expenditure and an added huge Budget deficit. A few points remain to be settled in connection with the proposed agreement, which; is tripartite with Italy, which must be further consulted. , It is claimed that the margin of superiority Of the French oVer the Italian Navy is 244,000 tons usable outside the Mediterranean, leaving 144,000. tons in, hand to' counterbalance the German Navy and 100,000 for colonial defence. It is understood that Mr. Craigie aimed at a margin of 150,000; tons new vessels, plus the older units. The French Nhvy question and the French submarine tonnage chiefly delayed the FrancoBritish agreement. _ . The Paris correspondent of The Times says the report on the military estimates submitted to the deputies envisages the disarmament commission’s discussions and presents the French cause in a most favourable light. The home army vote is shown at £38,0110,000, and the overseas at £13,000,000, £soo,ooo more, than last year. The ex-, penditure allegedly has decreased 10 per cent, since 1014. The United States’ expenditure has increased 86 per cent, and Japan’s 48 per cent. Britain’s has decreased 1 per cent, and Italy’s 14 per cent. France compares its 552,000 men at home and overseas with Britain’s 510,000 regulars, 277,000 militia aiid 43,000 overseas formations. Italy has 303,000 regulars, 110,000 police and militia, and Germany has 100,000 regulars and 150,000 security police.