The Bill to give effect to the Washington Treaties was
read a second time in the House of Commons on Friday, July 7th. Mr. Amery said very truly that the treaties " represented the greatest triumph of practical idealism " attained in our time. The Bill would enable the British Government to prevent any British shipbuilder from constructing a war-vessel without licence. Mr. Asquith warmly, commended the treaties, laying stress on the clause which limits the size of a capital ship to 35,000 tons. Captain Elliot said that it was far more necessary to limit air armaments than to out down navies ; he attributed the success of the Washington Conference to economic rather than to humanitarian considerations. Other Members insisted Cm the reality of the danger from the air. Mr. Amery, however, reminded the House that Rome was not built in a day, and that the limitation of naval armaments was, at any rate, a step towards the goal.
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