§ 4. Viscount SANDONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in course of conversation with leading officials of the United States, prior to and during the Naval Disarmament Conference at Geneva, any statements were made by any British official representative which were calculated to convey the assurance as to no difficulty being raised by Great Britain over the naval disarmament negotiations?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONI am not aware of any conversations having taken place between British and American official representatives prior to the Conference on the actual merits of the questions at issue. As to those which took place during the Conference, they were obviously of an informal and private character, and there is equally no record of them.
§ Viscount SANDONHas the hon. Gentleman not seen the allegations which have been made, and will he not take steps to see that these denials are represented in the same quarters as the allegations appeared?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONI did see a notice in the Press, but I really do not think it is necessary always to deny these inaccurate statements.
§ 13. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any scheme for the reduction of naval armaments, prepared by the Board, will be put forward at Geneva at the Preparatory Commission on Disarmament; and when it is proposed to publish the Admiralty's scheme for naval disarmament 1355 by agreement through the League of Nations?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONHis Majesty's Government will lose no opportunity of furthering progress in the limitation of naval armaments. The British representative on the Preparatory Commission has discretion to bring forward our proposals whenever he thinks the occasion propitious.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYI put this question to the First Lord of the Admiralty, but perhaps the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs can inform me whether there is any scheme in existence ready to be put forward on the appropriate occasion?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONI have been asked to reply to this question. The hon. and gallant Gentleman knows that the next meeting is going to take place early in February, and that will be the time for our representative to bring forward the British proposals.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDo understand that the strongest Navy in the world will or will not bring forward definite roposals in February?
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYHave not we reduced our Navy more than any other country, and in view of increased armaments elsewhere will the hon. Gentleman see that the Navy is not further reduced?