§ Mr. STANLEY BALDWINIs the Prime Minister prepared to make any statement concerning the business of the Naval Conference?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWhen the Conference met some important preparatory work had still to be done and delegations had to exchange views before it was desirable to publish the programmes upon which negotiations were to take place. The Conference has now reached the stage when delegations are discussing details of requirements.
His Majesty's Government have therefore prepared a Memorandum indicating the policy and programme which have guided them in their negotiations. This document, which has since been discussed with the Dominion delegates at the Conference and generally approved by them, is now available as a White Paper for circulation to Members. I should explain that a summary of this 38 Memorandum appeared in the Press on Saturday morning as a result of the issue of a communication giving in some detail the views advanced by the delegation of the United States of America, and I decided not to withhold a statement of the British view until to-day.
I should like to make it quite clear that this Memorandum which indicates our policy has not been drawn up in agreement with any other delegation.
At this stage of the proceedings it is difficult for me to give the House any details of the present state of the negotiations, but I can say with confidence that progress is being made all along the line. We are nearing an agreement on difficult questions relating to the method of the limitation of naval armaments which have for years been a stumbling block to progress in the Preparatory Commission of the League of Nations. In addition, we are engaging in frank discussions with the other delegations in regard to the equilibrium of naval strength to be established between the Powers, and I have every hope that we shall ultimately reach an agreement also on this difficult problem. Everything is being done which can be done to prevent waste of time, but the House will readily realise that to rush a delicate negotiation of this description in which five Powers are concerned would be likely to court disaster. I shall therefore have to plead for the patience of hon. Members and of the public at large if progress does not always appear to be rapid.