Tuesday, 21 January 1930: London Naval Conference Begins

London:  

The London Naval Conference (or “5-Power Naval Conference”) begins.  An estimated 100 million people worldwide listen live by radio to King George V of England’s welcome speech to the delegates.  The conference is front-page news in newspapers around the world.  Naval vessels such as the battleship and submarine call to mind the technological horrors of the World War, and the capability to project military power around the globe.  Thus the interest.  Women’s and religious groups from all over the world have sent messages to the delegates, urging them to reduce naval arms to preserve peace. 

The opening ceremony is held in the royal gallery of the House of Lords.  King George, standing before a golden throne behind a silver microphone, is flanked by delegates from the five nations represented.  He welcomes “the delegates of the five principal naval powers assembled with the object of eliminating the evil results of wasteful competition in naval armaments.” 

“Since the Great War, all peoples are determined that human statescraft shall leave nothing undone to prevent repetition of the grim and immense tragedy.  In the interests of peace which we are seeking to build up, one of its most important columns is agreement between the maritime nations on the limitation of naval strength and reduction to a point consistent with national security.”  Yet King George acknowledges, “The practical application of the principle of the reduction of naval armaments has in the past proven a matter of extreme difficulty.”