What Does Labour Propose?

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 274, 20 December 1929, Page 7

What Does Labour Propose?

United Press Assn.

Electric Gable GopyrtKftt

LONDON, Dec, 18In the House of Lords, Lord Stanhope prompted an . interesting naval statement hy asking whether, a§ a copsequepce of the reduction announeed in the number of cruisers to he maintained, the Board of Admiralty in anv wise would he relieved of j-esponsibili-ties of defence; aJso, whether the roduetions would he from the battle fleets or from those on trade routes. Tlie country was ehtitled to he told what had been the change of policv aud what the programme of fifty cruisers included. Lord Beatty said it was the respousibility of tbe Admiralty to provide a n'aval strength adequate to carry out the policy of the Government, also to provide sufficieqt strengtli to proteet sea communjcations, trade routes, tbe dominiqns and colonies from ^ attack.: Qn an average day of the year 9,509,000 tons of British shipping were to be found 011 sea routes extending 80,000 miles. To maintain the number of cruisers at fifty within coming years it" would be necessary to lay down twenty-six ; yet tlje 1928 programme had been suspended, ivliile nothing had been done in regard to 1929. Britain was entering the conference with an extremely low liinit cruiser tonnage. Thus it was natural tlrht there sliould he apprehension among those who liad given th'oughtful coniideration to tlie vital question and who could not understand how parity in cruisers was arrivablo at imless they- had regard to Ihe commitments and obligations of eacli nation. Lord Thomson, replying, said the policy Avas to provide absolute security' for the Empjre, which had not been altercd * a single point. Obviouslv the ohject of tlie conference was reduction. The British delegates' would not be naval experts, but would be ac/companied therebv. This would be a change for tbe betfccr. If the conference took ihe course which every hanover in world peaeo hoped, tbe Government was confidenb tbe Admiralty would be able to contmue adequately to discbarge its responsibilities.