Jan, 22, The Five-Power Naval Conference: begins actual business to-morrow morning when all the delegations will mest in full session at St. James' palace, It is anticipated that at this sitting each delegation will make a brief, plain statement of its position.
This evening the Premier broad-east, at his study in Downing Street, message which was sent by the short wave station, SSW, and relayed throughout the United States. A. tittle later/he had a further conversation with the chief Japanese delegate, Mr. Wakatsuki.
Mr. MacDonald, in his broadcast message to the United States said that before the Conference started the delegations had been discussing. their differences and they were hard at that now. If it were a matter of two or three delegations, differ-fences might be adjusted in open Jconference, but when there were five many exchanges of views were required and delicate handling had to be adopted. The preliminaries. for an agreement had, therefore, to be conducted to a great extent between the separate delegations and could openly debated only after a [thorough preliminary understanding Jamong the countries affected, "Although I feel sure an agree ment will be come to," said the Premier, "I should like to warn my heaters that there are many. difficulties in the way. The_question how far can we all go together? Some of us are willing to go further than others in certain direction but not so far in others. Some us make proposals for reductions. which do not suit others and they, jin turn, make proposals which are similarly rejected. It is not ill-will it is the problem of adjustment. "We shall strive to bring to the lowest common level all the programme of the various countries, so that two things will happen; firstly, there will be no more competition Between us building ships, and, secondly, programmes will be reduced to the: ery lowest possible level and then, within a few, years, say five or six, we shall be in a position te mal still further reductions. Then we shall reach disarmament and secure jer said he would answer! quite specifically a statement that had been very widely scattered—that this country, while talking of irmament, was showing no. ex. ample. "In case of the British! Army's regular establishments, there have been large reductions since pre-War days. 'There has been limitation of personnel, material and military expenditure generally. Our personnel to-lay shows a reduction 50,000 compared with 1914, and 162,000 compared with' 1921, after Jactual war forces had been disband-_ fed. We are the only nation among' the leading Powers who can show 4 continuous reduction in expenditure' on its army. I am making no criticism of what other nations have Jdone. Iam only concerned to assure: you we have; in this country, al-Feady assumed some of the risks of peace by actual reduction of fighting power. In the ease of the Navy, we have not waited for these confer-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.