NAVAL ARMAMENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16312, 30 December 1920, Page 8

NAVAL ARMAMENTS.

SUGGESTED LIMITATIONS.

BRITAIN'S ANSWER,

THREE GREAT NAVAL POWERS IN ACCORD. By Td*cr&pti—Pms Association—CopjilgiV. United Service. (Kecoived December 31), 13.45 p.m.) * December 29. Britain's answer to tho American suggestion for the limitation of naval armaments has been an immediate and definite “ yes.” .Public men of all parties blessed the proposal, the church, the Dress..and labour and commerce spontaneously advocating it. Every newspaper is opening its columns to the discussion, but no correspondent can be found optimistic enough to assert that ..Britain is able to finance, without the greatest risks, tho stupendous effort pt such competitive building programmes ss outlined by Japan and America. Tho Government has been working for some time for an agreement, confident that Anglo-American relations would improve, and refusing to believe that an Anglo-American war was possible. This improvement has definitely arriA'ed. Mr Harding’s unofficial envoys to Europe indicate a %trong policy of friendship and trust. ’/.The surprise has been tho avidity with which Japan accepted tho idea. Tho immediate entry of tho Japanese ambassador into tho arena, and his risfily repetition of Japan’s willingness to sign on agreement, suggests that m portant official conversations preceded public ventilation of the idea. ' fAnother surprise has been Mr Waller Jjong’s message to America, declaring that Britain, although an islann power and entirely dependent on tho ocean highways, is willing to accept the standard of equal strength with the next power. Thus are the ghosts of the old political controversies regarding tho fcwo-keol standard laid, and no voico bewails them. 'The country is intent Upon a long peace, lb is harassed'Jinan-' daily, and is eager for tho limitation of American building. It knows that tho huge unlimited Japanese and American programmes, would, during the difficult years ahead, bo an unaupnortable nitditmaro. 1 iijoyd Northcliffo’s statement that tho. Empire would never join the Japanese i-.i a war against America remains undisputed. Lord Northcliffo savs that in no circumstances whatever i 8 it, IJOSS a,i e „ Canada, Australia 0n behalf of tho tel JS er • r ? ( . a J o,,n e nation, able, inS B iu!u“- tlatn i e| - nnd illustrious, but inexperienced m world politics. SS ar ?f D ff lUg bad f«* ndstakes hj trade., If *hey am budding aoninst i3SZ