SHIPS OF WAR

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 245, 14 September 1929, Page 9

SHIPS OF WAR

READY FOR CONFERENCE. ’ BRITAIN AND AMERICA. IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). (Australian Press Association —United Service). Received September 14, 9.0 a.m. WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. Colonel Stimson, Secretary of the Navy, announced to-day that Britain and the United States were now prepared for naval conference as negotia-' tions between General Dawes and Mr Ramsay MacDonald had reached a point where a conference could be called. “This conference,” added Colonel Stimson, ‘can deal with any matter which lias not yet been settled in direct conversations. The discussions now centre around a few thousand tons of ships in a single class, meaning cruisers. If the conversations which have been going on succeed in bringing a conference of the Powers and an agreement among them, the armament race in all categories of ships will be off and an entirely different atmosphere will be substituted.” Colonel Stimson asserted that this would not only benefit the national defence of the United States, but also the attitude of the whole world, and that of Britain and the United States tdward each other. Another beneficial effect would be its bearing on the American naval policy. Colonel Stimson added : “The effect of a successful naval parley will appear infinitely greater when *it is considered in the light of all classes of ships and not only that of cruisers. In considering all classes, there will be substituted an entirely different frame of mind.” NEAR FINAL ACCORD. .. NEWSPAPER COMMENT. (Australian Press Association.) LONDON, Sept. 13. The announcement that Mr Ramsay MacDonald was definitely going to America on September 28 followed General Dawes’ visit to Downing Street, where he presented the latest American Note. it took Mr MacDonald under an hour to peruse the information and converse with the Ambassador. Then he made up his mind on the spot to make the trip. This in itself is regarded as an indication that the Governments are near final accord. Mr MacDonald subsequently liad a conference with Mr A. V. Alexanfler, First Lord of the Admiralty, who was •mummed by a high Admiralty official. To-day the Note will be submitted to the Foreign Office and various experts. . Cabinet will probably be summoned. All the newspapers feature the naval negotiations. The • news available here is meagre, but lengthy cable messages from Washington and New York purport to give an outline of the discussions and iss ms at stake Indeed, the information released here regarding the proposals lias been negligible throughout the negotiations. The Daily Telegraph’s Parliamentary correspondent states that the British Government is willing to content itself with fifteen 8-inch gun 10,000 tonners, against America’s eighteen. It is thought that the latest American proposal will reduce the British quota to twelve. Britain at present has thirteen of this type built or being built, including two Australian cruisers. Therefore, a reduction to .twelve would mean scrapping one of these vessels. The Times states: “The conversations must be necessarily provisional pending consultation with other Powers, but however formidable the obstacles that remain it is clear that the chances of ultimate success are immeasurably greater than two years ago, when a rigid abstract definition of parity wrecked all prospects of agreement.” 'AMERICAN DECISION. DESTROYERS TO BE PUT OUT OF COMMISSION. (Australian Press Association—United Service). Received September 14, 10 a.m. WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. The decision to put out of commission a number of destroyers because of their age was announced to-day by the Navy Department. The Naval Limitations Conference has been proposed for as early in December as possible. CONFERENCE POSSIBLY IN LONDON. OTHER POWERS TO BE CONSULTED. (Australian Press Association.) NEW YORK, Sept. 12. . The New York Times’s Washington correspondent states that the official announcement from London of Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s visit has resulted in an admission in authoritative quarters here of an agreement between the United States and Britain on preliminaries for a formal naval disaimament conference. , The conference will possibly be held in London in December, after the views of the Japanese, French, and Italian Governments have been ascertained.