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(3) On the cessation of hostilities, the High Contracting Parties shall consult together with a view to fixing a date upon which the obligations of the Treaty which have been suspended shall again become operative, and to agreeing upon any amendments in the present Treaty which may be considered necessary. Article 25. (1) In the event of any vessel not in conformity with the limitations and restrictions as to standard displacement and armament prescribed by Articles 4, 5, and 7 of the present Treaty being authorized, constructed, or acquired by a Power not a party to the present Treaty, each High Contracting Party reserves the right to depart if, and to the extent to which, He considers such departures necessary in order to meet the requirements of His national security— (a) during the remaining period of the Treaty, from the limitations and restrictions of Articles 3, 4, 5, 6 (1), and 7, and (b) during the current year, from His Annual Programmes of construction and declarations of acquisition. This right shall be exercised in accordance with the following provisions:— (2) Any High Contracting Party who considers it necessary that such right should be exercised shall notify the other High Contracting Parties to that effect, stating precisely the nature and extent of the proposed departures and the reasons therefor. (3) The High Contracting Parties shall thereupon consult together and endeavour to reach an agreement with a view to reducing to a minimum the extent of the departures which may be made. (4) On the expiration of a period of three months from the date of the first of any notifications which may have been given under paragraph (2) above, each of the High Contracting Parties shall, subject to any agreement which may have been reached to the contrary, be entitled to depart during the remaining period of the present Treaty from the limitations and restrictions prescribed in Articles 3, 4, 5, 6 (1), and 7 thereof. (5) On the expiration of the period mentioned in the preceding paragraph, any High Contracting Party shall be at liberty, subject to any agreement which may have been reached during the consultations provided for in paragraph (3) above, and on informing all the other High Contracting Parties, to depart from His Annual Programmes of construction and declarations of acquisition and to alter the characteristics of any vessels building or which have already appeared in His Programmes or declarations. (6) In such event no delay in the acquisition, the laying of the keel, or the altering of any vessel shall be necessary by reason of any of the provisions. of Part 111 of the present Treaty. The particulars mentioned in Article 12 (b) shall, however, be communicated to all the other High Contracting Parties before the keels of any vessels are laid. In the case of acquisition, information relating to the vessel shall be given under the provisions of Article 14. Article 26. (1) If the requirements of the national security of any High Contracting Party should, in His opinion, be materially affected by any change of circumstances, other than those provided for in Articles 6 (2), 24, and 25 of the present Treaty, such High Contracting Party shall have the right to depart for the current year from His Annual Programmes of construction and declarations of acquisition. The amount of construction by any Party to the Treaty, within the limitations and restrictions thereof, shall not, however, constitute a change of circumstances for the purposes of the present Article. The above-mentioned right shall be exercised in accordance with the following provisions:— (2) Such High Contracting Party shall, if He desires to exercise the abovementioned right, notify all the other High Contracting Parties to that effect, stating in what respects He proposes to depart from His Annual Programmes of construction and declarations of acquisition, giving reasons for the proposed departure.

2—A. 7.

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