RATIO DEMANDS

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1934, Page 5

RATIO DEMANDS

NO PARITY- WITH JAPAN STAND IN UNITED STATES CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE BUILDING 5 SHIPS TO 3 HINTS OF PACIFIC PACT By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 11 p.m. Washington, Nov. 27. Mr. Carl Vinson, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Naval Affairs Committee, who sponsored the Bill last session to bring the navy to treaty strength, declared that America would never countenance narrowing the 5-3 ratio with Japan. "If the Tokio Government does insist upon wrecking the treaty I will insist that the committee and Congress make enough money available to build five ships for each three laid down by Japan,” ha said. "This country cannot grant naval parity to Japan, even at the price of weakening treaties.” Commenting on London reports that Mr. Ramsay MacDonald had told the House of Commons that Britairf had no intention of offering America a Pacific security pact in the event of the collapse of the naval and co-related treaties, Mr. Cordell Hull said such a proposal was never considered by the State Department. He had never before heard the matter discussed. A British Wireless message states that, asked if he would consider the advisability qf proposing to the United States Government negotiations for a Pacific mutual assistance pact on the lines of the Locarno treaties, Mr. MacDonald said that the Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, stated last week the position of the naval discussions and the desire of Britain to obtain friendly cooperation. with both the United States and Japan. In these circumstances he did not consider it useful to raise such matters by question and answer, as members could assume that the Government had in mind every aspect of the situation. The Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Tsuneo Matsudaira, called on Sir John Simon this afternoon to continue the recent conversations on naval questions. He was accompanied by Admiral Yamamoto and there was a general talk on the present position and ways of overcoming the existing difficulties. No decisions or conclusions of any kind were reached. ITALY NOT IN FAVOUR. ABROGATION OF TREATY. Rome, Nov. 27. Though the Government has received a Note from Japan suggesting the abrogation of the Washington naval treaties, it is unlikely that Italy will agree to such a course because she has much to lose and nothing to gain. Abrogation would obliterate the Italian right to parity with the French, whereby Italy would lose a precious international point at Paris. France has received a Note regarding the proportion of the French and Italian navies.