HUGE NAVY

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1935, Page 5

HUGE NAVY

GERMANY’S PLAN ITALIAN PAPER’S STORY TOTAL OF 100,000 TONS RACE BEGINS IN BALTIC RUSSIAN NAVAL COUNCIL By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rome, April 30. The newspaper Giornale d’ltalia reports that Germany has decided on a huge naval programme in 193a-3b, three times larger than the previous years. KT total -tonnage will be 100,000 tons and the units will far exceed the Versailles Treaty limits. The programme was decided on three weeks before the proposed Anglo-Ger-man conversations, thus again presenting a fait accompli. The details are: Battleships: Two 20,000-tonners. Cruisers: Two 10,000-tonners, one 60OTtonner. Destroyers: 16 1400-tonners. Flotilla leaders: 10 8000-tonners. ; The programme also includes 400 to 500-ton submarines considerably exceeding the 12 announced. Thus by 1938 the German naval strength will be 166,000 tons, excluding submarines. ' RACE FOR SUPREMACY. The London Daily Express says that Germany’s submarine < building programme has led to a race for naval supremacy in the Baltic. M. Voroshilov, Russian War Minister, summoned a conclave of high naval chiefs at Moscow and pointed out the danger to the Soviet of a powerful German Baltic fleet which would separate Russia from France and Russia’s Black Sea fleet from the Baltic. The naval council drew up a construction plan for immediate submission to M. Stalin. The council stresses the necessity for the rapid construction of submarines and warships at Kronstadt. The British United Press Berlin cor- ’ respondent, however, emphasises, that Germany has spent so much on building 2000 aeroplanes that she will have no money for her big naval programme in the near future. The German naval theory envisages a combination of small submarines and fast light destroyers about the Skagerrak to guard the Baltic approaches. The provisional arrangements for the Anglo-German preliminary naval conversations contemplated that the German delegates would visit London about the second week in May, but the date of the opening of the talks was left to the German authorities. In view of the fact that Herr Hitler proposed to make his important announcement on Germany’s foreign policy on or about May 15 a request for the further postponement of the conversations was received.

Sir John Simon, loreign Secretary, was asked in the House of Commons whether in view of the German intimation regarding the building of submarines it 'was proposed to proceed with the conversations. He replied that the position created by the German intimation was under consideration. Newspaper reports from Berlin state that the British Government knew of the German plans some weeks ago. / QUESTIONS IN COMMONS. In the House of Commons Sir A. Lambert Ward, replying to a question, said that during Sir John Simon’s visit to Berlin an invitation was given to Germany to hold informal conversations at London on the question of future naval requirements. No date was fixed. Mr. G. L. Mander (Liberal): “Does the Government consider that the conference will serve a useful purpose in the present circumstances?” There was no reply. It is understood that Mr. Ramsay MacDonald assured the Dominion Prime Ministers at a meeting to consider the international situation that Thursday’s debate in the House of Commons would provide a clear indication of the British foreign policy. The meeting apparently did not go beyond the stage of a preliminary discussion for the purpose of amplifying the official summaries .of the recent European negotiations, but a series of similar gatherings during the coming weeks will provide facilities for discussing Imperial defence, also the 1936 Imperial Conference. Sir Maurice Hankey, Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence, was present.

BRITISH COMMITMENTS INTEREST IN DOMINIONS QUESTION OF SUPPORT Rec. 9 pjn. London, May 1. The hope that Thursday’s debate in the House of Commons will produce a statement of the extent of British commitments is expressed in the Times. The Times says the Dominions’ Prime Ministers must be specially anxious to know to what extent Great Britain is engaged or likely to become engaged in complications on the Continent. The Dominions are not bound by the terms of the Locarno Treaty but in a general way may be regarded as supporting its peace-preserving purpose. If, however, Britain were to incur obligations further afield on the Continent it would certainly be at the risk of causing a split in Imperial sentiment.