NAVAL CONFERENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 288, 4 December 1929, Page 7

NAVAL CONFERENCE

BRITISH DELEGATES DOMINIONS INVITED. MR MACDONALD’S STATEMENT [ British Official Wireless ] RUGBY, Dec. 2. The Prime Minister announced in the House of Commons that the British delegates to the London Naval Conference, which opens on January 21, would be himself, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr Henderson), the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Secretary for India (Mr Wedgwood Benn).

The British Goverment had communicated with the Government of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, the Irish Free States, and the Government of India, who had been invited to nominate delegates. He was not yet in a position to make a statement as to the names of their delegates nor give the names of their naval advisers who would assist in technical matters, but those would include the chief and deputy-chief of the naval staff.

He added that the King had given permission for the use or the Royal Gallery at the Palace of Westminster for the opening of the primary meeting and of Saint James’ Palace for subsequent meetings of the conference. Questioned regarding the agenda, the Prime Minister said that the subject on the agenda would be how best the five Powers represented at the conference could agree on a reduction and limitation of war vessels on a basis of mutually accepted strength. The question of procedure to be adopted at the conference was a matter for discussion between the Governments of the countries concerned and for decision by the conference itself.