DISARMAMENT SCHEME.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17133, 21 June 1927, Page 7

DISARMAMENT SCHEME.

THREE-POWER CONCLAVE. NAVAL. LIMITATION. PROPOSALS AT GENEVA. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 19. A message from Geneva says all the 1 members of the British Empire delegation to Ihc ihrcc-Powers naval arrn--3 aments limitation conference, which t will be opened to-morrow, met to-day 1 at Beaurivagc. r The meeting lasted an hour and ahalf. Mr W. G. Bridgcman, First Lord 3 of the Admiralty, the chief British delegate, presided. ] Mr Hugh Gibson and Admiral Saito i arc the respective heads of the American and Japanese delegations. France and Italy, which took part in the Washington Conference in 1921, are represented al ibis conference only by an informateur and an observer rcs- [ peclively. - Whereas the Washington Conference ] dealt only with capital ships, the pre- ’ sent conference will discuss every ) class of naval craft. ’ The newspapers at Geneva generally 1 reiterate the opinions which were ex- • pressed when the President of tlie ; United States, Mr Coolidgc, proposed 1 the conference These may be sum- • mod up in Hie statement that with a 1 scattered Empire which cannot bo • supplied even with bare subsistence i unless its trade routes are kept open, ■ the problem confronting Britain is in- > finitely more complex than that of cither ■ of the other members of the coni'er- ' ence. j 1 LATER. ANGLO-AMERICAN DIFFERENCES. CRUISERS AND SUBMARINES. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Received June 21, 10.30 a.m.) ' WASHINGTON, June 20. j Administrative circles believe that | the differences between American and British proposals for limitii g auxiliary naval craft arc not serioir-' enough to

prevent an agreement. It is pointed out that the basic American/ principle of the fivc-flve-lhree ration is apparently acceptable to Bri--1 tain, while the United Slates Government will probably accept the British proposal limiting the si/.e of submarines. This is in line with the American Deb-galion's expressed willing- . ness to outlaw submarines if all J ! nations agree, (hough such a step is j j now impossible because of French op- I luWil ! / »n i

I Officials declare Hint the British pro- j pnsals to limit cruisers to 7.10 0 - ton j ships niter the conference agrees on | Ihe number of 10,000-lon cruisers Hint j may bo pencilled, will probably be j aeoeplablo to the United Stales. This . would allow Ihc United Slates Jo 10.000-ton ships to equal the same number already built or authorised by Britain. CONFERENCE OPENED. SCHEMES SUBMITTED. BY EACH OF THREE POWERS. (Received June 21. 1' JO a.m.) GENEVA, June 20. The Triparlilc Naval Armaments Limitation Conference has opened. Mr Hugh Gibson, of the United States, was appointed president. Each Power submitted proposals as a basis for discussion. American Proposals. The American proposals provides for the following -strengths:— Cruisers: Uniied States and British Empire each 250,000 to 300,000 tons; Japan, 150,000 to 180,000 tons; destroyers respectively 208,000 to 250,- ; 000 tons, and 120,000 to 150,000 , tons. Submarines: United Stales and British Empire, GO.OOO to 00,000 tons i and Japan 30,000 to 54,000 tons. The United States is willing to i agree with all Naval Powers to abolish i •submarines. Japanese Scheme. 1 The Japanese proposal is:— 1 Firstly, no new building programme J to be adopted, or new ships to be ae- j quired for the purpose of increasing p naval strength; ( Secondly, that the naval strength I of each Power shall be determined for ) surface auxiliary craft and submar- 1 ines respectively, on a basis of tonnages of existing effective ships and j ships under construction, not taking £ into consideration the tonnages of ships authorised, but not yet laid t down, and ships attaining the age _. limit during the execution of the au- t thorisecl programmes; Thirdly, construction or acquisition of ships'in future lo be limited to replacements, due consideration being given to equalisation as far as possible of the amount of annual constructions for replacements; j Fourthly, small ships and ships of J limited activity to be exempt from limitation. :

British Proposal

The British proposal extends the life of existing capital ships to 20 years.

Reduces future battleships from .13,000 to something under 30,000 lons each, and their guns from 10 lo 13.5 inches;

Limits aircraft carriers to 25,000 tons with armaments of 0-ineh guns; Accepts the existing rates of 10.-

000 ton cruisers carrying 3.Sin. guns (the number thereof required for each of Hie three countries to be subject of discussion) ;

Limits future light cruisers to 7500 Inns, armed with 0-incli guns, after Hie number of 10,000 ton boats has been decided upon:

Limits destroyer leaders lo 1750, ; ,nd destroyers to 1-100 ions, the armament of destroyers to bo 5-incii

guns; Limits large submarines lo 1000, and smaller to GOO lons, each being armed with 5-inch guns.