SINGAPORE AND HAWAII WILL NOT BE HEARD OF AT CONFERENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18189, 23 June 1927, Page 11

SINGAPORE AND HAWAII WILL NOT BE HEARD OF AT CONFERENCE.

Sydney “ Sun ” Cable. • GENEVA, June 22. Earl . Jellicoe, after he had voiced the views of the naval experts, stressed the point that the Conference would not discuss fortifications. This, unless something unforeseen occurs, rules out the Singapore Base and Hawaii. Earl Jellicoe said he was very proud to be among the representatives of New Zealand. “It is,’’ he said, "an indication so far as the Dominion is concerned of the great interest it takes in Imperial defence, and of the honour they have done me in asking me to be here. “Australia obviously is also deeply interested in the successful progress and outcome of the Conference,” he continued. “Both are vitally concerned in the preservation and protection of the trade routes, because the great proportion of their products are exported, and they depend largely on manufactured imports for their comfort.” The Australian Press is authorised to .state that Japan does not intend to raise the question of fortifications in general and Singapore in particular. A Japanese expert, interviewed, said it -was understood from the beginning that the question of fortifications was outside the scope of the Conference. “It is true,” he said, “that it is intimately connected with naval defence and may be referred to in the course of the conversations, but at present we certainly have no intention of raising the question.” The Press also gathers that the American view is that, while they admit at present that there is a -wide divergence between the American, British and Japanese schemes, they insist that there is no reason for pessimism about the an agreement, because there is such a wide range in the American scheme that it affords a basis of discussion.