C. Documents to be incorporated eventually in Government publications:

(a) Text of Treaty, Protocol of Signature and Additional Protocol;

(b) Reports of Technical Sub-Committees, i. e., L. N. C. (35) 10, 10a, 11, 12 and the Drafting Committee's report;

(c) Minutes of Plenary Sessions, minutes of 1st Committee Meetings and minutes of the meetings of the Technical SubCommittee on Qualitative Limitation;

(d) Formulae of French, United Kingdom and Italian Delegations on Advance Notification and Exchange of Information (L. N. C. (35) 4, 5 and 6);

(e) Correspondence between the Chairman of the Naval Conference and the Japanese Delegation (L. N. C. (35) 7 and 9); (f) Text of any communication from the Chairman of the Naval Conference to the Secretary-General of the League after the concurrence of the latter has been obtained to its publication.

PROPOSAL BY THE UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION REGARDING ADVANCE NOTIFICATION AND EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION1

1

The High Contracting Parties shall communicate to each of the other High Contracting Parties the following information regarding the construction of naval vessels defined by treaty which exceed 100 tons (102 metric tons) displacement:

(1) During the first month of each financial year: a list of the vessels for which orders will be placed during that year, giving the classification of the vessel and the calibre of the largest gun.

(2) During the sixth month of each financial year (if not already communicated): the following information regarding each vessel which will be laid down during that financial year:

Name of ship.

Classification or category.

Standard displacement in tons and metric tons.

Length at water line.

Extreme beam at or below water line.

Mean draft at standard displacement.

Designed horse-power.

Designed speed.

Type of machinery.

Type of fuel.

Number and calibre of all guns of 3′′ (76 mm.) calibre and

above.

Number of guns of less than 3′′ (76 mm.) calibre.

Number of torpedo tubes.

Number of mines which can be carried.

Number of aircraft carried.

(3) Within one month after the date of laying down each vessel: the date of laying the keel, together with particulars bringing up to date the information already supplied under (2).

(4) Within one month after the date of completion of each vessel: the date of completion, together with particulars bringing up to date the information already supplied under (2) and (3).

SECRETARIAT-GENERAL,

CLARENCE HOUSE,

WESTMINSTER, S. W. 1, 6th January, 1936.

'Document L. N. C. (35) 4.

FORMULA PROPOSED BY THE ITALIAN DELEGATION FOR THE VOLUNTARY QUANTITATIVE LIMITATION OF NAVAL ARMAMENTS1

ARTICLE I.

The High Contracting Parties recognise for each of the other High Contracting Parties the right to establish in full sovereignty the strength of naval armaments necessary for their security.

ARTICLE II.

The High Contracting Parties, wishing to ensure a stronger feeling of security between the nations, agree to communicate yearly to each of the other High Contracting Parties information regarding their building programmes, stating the figures representing the global tonnage and the number of ships of the single categories of vessels of war, as defined by the present Treaty, that they intend to lay down or acquire during the year considered, pledging themselves not to go beyond such figures.

ARTICLE III.

The dates at which the declarations of the yearly building programmes shall be communicated by each of the High Contracting Parties, will be fixed by each of them in accordance with their legislative exigencies.

ARTICLE IV.

The declarations referred to in Article II constitute formal engagements, and shall take the following form:

have the honour to in the acquisition or

laying down of naval tonnage for their navy, they will not go beyond the figures set out under the different categories of vessels of war, in the following table:

1Document L. N. C. (35) 5.

have

the honour to state that, of the programme declared for the year the figures set out under the different categories of vessels of war, in the following table, have not yet been acquired or laid down (a similar table to the preceding one follows)."

ARTICLE V.

X months before the actual laying down or acquisition, and within one month after the date of completion, respectively, of each vessel of war of the categories defined by the present Treaty, the High Contracting Parties shall communicate to each of the other High Contracting Parties the information detailed below:

(A) 1. The date of laying the keel.

2. Classification of the vessel.

3. Standard displacement in tons and metric tons and principal dimensions, namely, length at water-line, extreme beam at or below water-line, mean draft at standard displacement.

4. Calibre of the largest gun.

(B) 1. Any alterations affecting the information already given. 2. The date of completion.

3. Type of machinery.

4. Type of fuel.

5. Projected horse-power.
6. Projected speed.
7. Armament.

SECRETARIAT-GENERAL,
CLARENCE HOUSE,

WESTMINSTER, S. W. 1, 6th January, 1936.

NOTE BY THE FRENCH DELEGATION REGARDING ADVANCE NOTIFICATION AND EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION1

It is now clearly established that the system of quantitative limitation at present in force cannot be prolonged beyond 31st December, 1936.

On the other hand, it must be recorded that no suggestion to solve the quantitative problem has so far succeeded in securing universal approval.

For this reason the French Delegation, realising these difficulties, is convinced that it would be better no longer to aim at reaching any theoretically perfect solution for the problem of the quantitative limitation of naval forces.

In agreement on this point with the United Kingdom Delegation, the French Delegation is of opinion that trust will have to be placed in the goodwill of all the Powers represented at this Conference. There can be no question of establishing a system of complete freedom in naval construction. In order, however, to check competition and also no doubt generally to slow down the rate of naval construction throughout the world, all that is needed, in the opinion of the French Delegation, is a system of unilateral and voluntary declarations by the different Powers, supplemented by a notification made a sufficiently long time before a vessel is laid down, and possibly by exchanges of views between the interested Powers.

In these circumstances the French Delegation, influenced by the various arguments advanced in the course of the Conference, has sought a solution which it thinks may serve as the basis of an agreement. The essential features of this solution would be the following:

1. Powers which thought it possible to do so could at any time declare for... years the total tonnage of new construction which they undertake not to exceed, for each category of vessel, throughout the period in question.

2. Whether they made this declaration or not, all the Powers would give a binding undertaking to publish every year a list and the principal characteristics of the vessels, the construction of which each of them intends to put in hand during the corresponding financial year.

3. In either case these intentions would be published in the form of unilateral declarations notified freely and with the exclusive responsibility of the Governments concerned.

1 Document L. N. C. (35) 6.