DISARMAMENT INQUIRY

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1934, Page 7

DISARMAMENT INQUIRY

GERMAN VISITS BRITAIN SUGGESTION OF BARGAINING CONVERSATIONS IN FRANCE NEWSPAPERS NOT HOPEFUL By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 10 p.m. London, May 10. Herr Joachim von Ribbentrop, Germany’s special disarmament commissioner, who arrived in London to acquaint himself with British views on disarmament, called at the Foreign Office and met Sir John Simon, Foreign Secretary, and Mr. R. A. Eden, Lord Privy Seal. While most London papers affirm Herr Ribbentrop’s mission is mainly to establish contact, the Daily Express says he came to tell the Government that Germany accepts the British disarmament plan and is willing drastically to reduce the storm troops in return for a regular army of 300,000 and the right to build an air force. The Daily Telegraph’s special correspondent says the British Government is engaged in reviewing the present position of the British defence forces in the light of the fact that if the disarmament talks fail circumstances might arise in which the despatch of an expeditionary force overseas must be contemplated. Mr. Henderson and M. Bartous at Paris to-day discussed disarmament. French newspapers generally consider Mr. Henderson’s efforts to secure a modification of France’s attitude will be unsuccessful. The discussions will be continued but the French newspapers are doubtful if there will be any concrete result. HOW FLEETS HAVE SHRUNK BRITISH OFFICIAL FIGURES COMPARISONS WITH 1914 Sir B. Eyres Monsell (First Lord of the Admiralty), in a written reply to Mr. Perkins stated that the total numbers of capital ships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines owned by Great Britain America, Japan, France and Italy in 1914, 1918 and 1934 were:—

*There are also nine old cruisers classed as coast defence or special service vessels. t Includes 24 large flotilla leaders.

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH. 1914 1918 1934 Capital ships . 69 59 15 Cruisers 108 109 51 Destroyers .. 216 433 152 Torpedo boats 106 94 — Submarines . 74 U.S.A. 137 52 Capital ships 33 39 15 Cruisers 38 34 21 Destroyers .. 51 110 251 Torpedo boats 18 17 — Submarines . 13 JAPAN. 77 82 Capital ships 16 23 9 Cruisers 37 28 *31 Destroyers ... 50 73 101 Torpedo boats 31 24 — Submarines . 13 FRANCE. 16 59 Capital ships 26 20 9 Cruisers ...... 34 , 29 15 Destroyers .... 88 91 173 Torpedo boats 148 121 3 Submarines . 54 ITALY. 63 94 Capital ships 14 14 4 Cruisers 26 17 • 24 Destroyers .... 33 53 94 Torpedo boats 91 106 4 Submarines .. 19 78 43