Evening star., 1921-12-17
YIELDING TORRANCE
IN NAVY DEMANDS
IS HELD IMPOSSIBLE
Diplomats Amazed at Plea in
Contravention of Spirit
of Conference.
lNSISTENCE SURE TO UNDO
LABORS OF BRAND HERE
Incident May Encourage Sugges-
tion French Pay War Loans Be-
fore New Building.
BY n. o. MESSENGER.

Amazement pervades all diplomatic
and official circles in Washington at
Frances demand for increased naval
tonnage held to be in coHtravention
of the entire spirit and objective of
the arms limitation conference. Ac-
Quescence is said to be impossible,
and in that view there is universal
wonder why France put forward the
demand.
Regret is expressed on all sides,
echoed also in the talk of the town
outside of ofticialdom, that France has
taken this stand. There seems to be
unanimity of opinion that insistence
will undo a great deal of the work
OF Marshal Foch and the impassioned
appeal of Premier BRAND in creating
sympathy in the United States for
France.
Efforts May BE Hampered.
The incident may also serve, it is
apprchended, to hamper the efforts of
those who are seeking to ease up
economic conditions In Europe and to
encourage the suggestion that France
fore embarking upon costly mill
taristic policy.
1t is estimated that it would cost
S400,000.O0O to build the ten capital
ships France proposes and it is
thought that there would be general
surprise in this country that Frances
economic future looked so bright as
to warrant such a commitment.
While there would be satisfaction
over such bright financial outlook.
there would be the attendant thought
that existing obligations might JUS
tlfy prior consideration.
Objective in Doubt.
No one in diplomatic or official
Washington can understand what
France could hope to gain by per-
sisting in the demand to the point
of frustrating the objects of the arms
conference while readily perceiving
what she stands to lose. - r:
It is pointed out that in breaking
up the plan for limitation of naval
armament. now agreed upon by Ja-
pan, Great Britain and the United
States, France would isolate herself
from the community of peaceful in
and stand alone as the one important
nation bent upon a dominating naval
and military policy.
Applicant for Sympathy.
At this time France is an applicant
for sympathy and support from the
United States and Great Britain
against perils which she holds to eX
ist in her surroundings. The first ef-
feet, it is said, of her determination
to start out upon a program of land
and naval armament on large scale
would be to substitute suspicion of her
motives for sympathy, and put the
world in defensive frame of mind.
British and other spokesmen have
pointed out that to agree with
would not alter the determined ratio
of 5--J--3. but would necessitate the
building of additional ships on that
basis and that such course is
diametrically opposed to the existing
spirit of the arms conference.
Compared With Japan.
Comment was not lacking today on
the contrast between the attitude of
Japan on naval construction and that
of France. Japan had been holding
off for weeks until she finally "signed
up 1t is true that she gained a con-
cession in the case of her cherished
suggested the thought that possibly
France hopes to induce concessions
likewise
But it is held that the menace in
volted in crippling the entire naval
reduction program is not SO serious to
the world as would be the serious
ness to France in isolating herself
from the concert of nations bent upon
a great humanitarian and economic
reform.