§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Ramsay MacDonald)With the indulgence of the House, I should like to mike a very brief statement—it must be brief under the circumstances—as to what has happened at the Naval Conference to-day.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWill the right hon. Gentleman please move the Adjournment of the House?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI beg to move, "That the House do now adjourn."
I was going to do so, to enable me to make that statement. I am happy to say that this forenoon an agreement was finally reached between the United States, Japan and Great Britain on a naval programme including all categories of ships. The terms of the agreement are now being drafted, but they follow very closely on the figures announced last September and October during the negotiations with the United States, and show substantial reductions. A White Paper will be prepared. From time to time since the opening of the Conference, various points of disagreement which have held up progress towards disarmament have been settled, and these, it is hoped, brought together in one instrument, will be signed by the five Powers.
The differences in the naval requirements of France, and Italy have proved to be intricate, and have not so far been resolved. At a meeting early this evening between the French, the Italian, and the United Kingdom delegations, it was decided that, as such substantial agreement had been come to, it was thought unnecessary and undesirable to keep the full body of delegates sitting in London pending a settlement of difficulties which primarily concern these three delegations only; and so we shall propose, at a plenary session to be held early next week, that the agreements now come to shall be signed, and the Conference adjourned, on the understanding that France, Italy, and ourselves shall continue efforts to come to an agreement in unison with that which has been reached between the United States, Japan, and ourselves.
§ Mr. STANLEY BALDWINIt is perfectly obvious that it would be impossible this evening either to criticise or to debate this matter. We are obliged to the Prime Minister for the statement which he has made. He has told us that a White Paper will be issued. I hope that White Paper will give very complete information and will be laid at the earliest possible moment, and I have no doubt that an opportunity will arise, when we have had time to consider it, for a discussion of the matter. The only other point on which I would like information this evening is that with regard to a 2474 three-Power agreement, pact, or treaty, or whatever name you like to give to it. I should like to know when such an agreement would become effective whether he would say, so far as he is concerned—I think I am familiar with it, if the whole House is not—what the procedure would be in Japan and America, so that we may know how long a time might have to elapse before this instrument was put into force and ratified by whatever process of ratification might be necessary. There is no further observation that I wish to make.
§ Sir HERBERT SAMUELIn the absence from London of my right hon. Friend the Member for Carnarvon Boroughs (Mr. Lloyd George), who was not aware that this statement would be made this evening, I should like to add one or two sentences on behalf of those who sit on these benches. All of us, in all parts of the House, have been most keenly desirous for the success of this Conference, and we congratulate the Prime Minister on the measure of success that he has attained, though I cannot refrain from expressing our regret that circumstances have not made it possible to render that success more complete. We must reserve for later, when the full facts are before Parliament, the opportunity of commenting upon the agreement which has been reached, but I am sure that to-night the whole House would wish to express their thanks to the Prime Minister and to his colleagues for the strenuous efforts that they have made on behalf of this country at the Conference.
§ The PRIME MINISTERMay I ask the indulgence of the House? May I say, regarding the method of putting the agreement in force, that I am not familiar with the machinery provided by the Japanese Constitution, but it would have to go before the Senate of the United States, which I suppose would be done as speedily as possible, and, so far as we are concerned, if it should emerge in the form of a treaty, it would just be ratified in the usual way—not by Resolution of this House. It would be signed by us, but the signature would not have effect without ratification later on. In the interval between the signing and the ratification, I am perfectly certain that this House will have an opportunity of expressing its views on the contents of 2475 the document whatever form it may take. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Motion.
§ Motion, by leave, withdrawn.