ARMAMENTS CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 11 October 1929, Page 6

ARMAMENTS CONFERENCE.

PRESS COMMENT. RUGBY, Thursday. The British invitation to a FivePower Conference in London next January is generally described in the Press comment as marking a further step forward. The. "Daily Herald” says: "The terms of the invitation are wide and carefully safeguard the entire freedom of action of every Government concerned. It is suggested that the conference shall reconsider the battleship replacement programme of the Washington Treaty and that it shall consider categories of cruisers, destroyers, submarines, etc., not covered by that Treaty.”

The "Daily Telegraph” says: "London and Washington arc seeking to give a lead in a new approach to the problem of naval disarmament. The lead comes naturally from the two Powers whose interest in that problem is greatest, and who have now happily succeeded in adjusting those matters of difference which existed. The proposals are as plain and frank as the purpose of tho statesmanship which has prompted them.” The ‘ ‘ Daily News ” says: " There is no question of exclusive alliance between Great Britain and the United States. The other naval Powers have been kept fully informed of the course of negotiations, and as Mr MacDonald himself pointed out in his address to the American Senators, neither in Great Britain nor in tho United States would tho idea of an exclusive alliance be tolerated.”

The "Daily Chronicle” says: "The whole position has been fundamentally altered by the Kellogg Pact. All the Great Powers have signed an undertaking to renounce tho policy of war, and if that undertaking means what it ‘says, tho signatories need no longer arm ono against another. The} can safely prove their sincerity by turning some at least of their swords into plough-shares.” The “Manchester Guardian” says: —“The Anglo-American cruiser agreement is born of a confidence which admits inferiority at a point where each side has hitherto stipulated for at least equality. That degree of confidence does not yet exist among European Powers. But short -of that much may be achieved. Even an arithmetical limitation will be fruitful. It can be progressively increased as is now to be done with battleships. Because after all, if only equality or a fixed ratio is allowed, one may as well have it as cheaply as possible, while the scaling down of armaments and the absence of competition tend in themselves to help the growth of confidence on which we must depend for- major results.” —8.0.Yv.

AMERICAN ATTITUDE. WASHINGTON, Thursday. The United -States Government is expected to accept tho invitation from the British Government to the London Naval Limitation Conference before Air MacDonald departs next Tuesday.

The text of the invitation discloses that the United States and Britain are in accord not only on Anglo-Ame-rican parity in 1936, but also on continuing the ten years’ holiday in capital ship construction from 1931 to 1936, Avhen another general naval conference is planned. The suggestion that the total abolition of submarines be a subject for the conference AA'ith other naval loners is regarded her by some informed quarters as a possible stumblingblock for the projected conference. "While the United States and Britain are in agreement on the proposition, there are indications that Japan, France and Italy Avill reject it.—A. and N.Z. P.A. —U.S.