NAVAL DISARMAMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17277, 13 December 1927, Page 7

NAVAL DISARMAMENT.

BRITAIN’S SINCERITY.

FIRST LORD’S DECLARATION

RESTRICTION OF PROGRAMME. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Dec. 11. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr W. C. Bridgeman, referring to the naval proposals of the United States, said: “I do not blame the Americans in the least. They are a great and rich country and are perfectly entitled to build whatever battleships they care for their own defence. “We, in order to show our sincerity in what we proposed at Geneva, have knocked off two cruisers. The Americans, so far as we can make out, are going in for their full programme. I do not dispute that they are building for their own defence, and therefore we have no reason to complain. “We have no reason to alter our own plans because of that. We do not intend to enter into building competition with any other country if we can possibly help it. “Do not let us watch with a jealous eye every battleship which is planned, but let us maintain our desire for ppace and our firm determination not to build anything more than is required for our own defence. We have now reduced our navy ,to as low a strength as is compatible with our safety.’’ WASHINGTON, Deo. 11.

The Secretary of the Navy., Mr Curtis D. Wilbur, issued his annual report to-day. He points out the need for a building programme to meet “our legitimate requirements for national defence and to maintain the 5 5 —3 ratio in cruisers and aircraft carriers in view of the failure of the Geneva Disarmament Conference. It is pointed out that replacement of tonnage in destroyers will soon be needed. Some of this tonnage should be in the form of destroyer leaders, lie also recommended the modernisation of live more battleships of the Oklahoma class.