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Show ITALY HAY ASK FOB REDUCTION OF NAVIES. eSBSSSBSSSMSBSMS ROME. May 1 In the Chamber of Deputies Dep-uties . Signor Glcotti interpellated the Government on the report that it intended in-tended to propose to the Government of. Great Britain that negotiations be en-! en-! tered Into with the view of arranging for a simultaneous reduction of the navies of the great powers. Signor Baccllli. Under Secretary of SUte. in reply, said the British Premier, Mr. Balfour, and the Secretary of the British Admiralty, Mr. Arnold-Foster, recently re-cently declared that Great Britain was ready to diminish her naval forces if the other powfers agreed to follow the same course, but Great Britain had not yet definitely taken the initiative In the matter and consequently Italy bad taken no action. The Under Secretary of State added that if Great Britain proposed to take a definite defi-nite step In the direction indicated Italy would consider it to be inopportune, on the ground that while the other powers bad recently been increasing the strength of their navies, Italy bad reduced her fleet, and also because of Italy's position requiring the defense of distant possessions, posses-sions, and in view of the great number of Italians in foreign countries. |