Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-12-19
FRENCH INSIST
ON GUARANTEES
FROM BRITISH
May Reduce Navy Demands
to 100000 Tons if AS
surances Given
CONFERENCE WATTS
Attitude of Admiral De Bon Ar0uSes
Resentment of Other ENJOYS at
Conference

Further progress by the naval
armament conference waits on Arls-
tide BRAND, premier of France. Cn-
til he shall have spoken, and given
final instructions to the French dele
CATION in Washington, no headway
is possible.
BRAND is in London. He reached
there yesterday afternoon. His mis-
! sion is to discuss German reparatlons
and the agreement recently concluded
! between the French government and
the Turkish nationalist government
at Angora. But official circles in
! Washington declared last night that
there was no doubt that the French
naval ratio will be one of the first
topics discussed between BRAND and
the British premier, David Lloyd
| George.
Meanwhile the French delegation
here insisted last night it was main
tanning its original position. Albert
Sarraut, the present chairman of the
delegation, deprecated all suggestions
that a crisis in conference affairs
has resulted from the French demand
that they be considered as the third
naval mower OF the world and be Civ
en- authority to construct capital
ships to make their total tonnage at
least 10000 more than accepted by
Japan.
NJ. Sarraut has intimated to sew
cral sources that eventually France
may be satisfied with tonnage of
100000 in superGreadnaughts. But if
this is TO be done, France is expected
to insist on certain naval guarantees
at the hands Of Great Britain. 1t is
Ia the subject OF such guarantees that
BRAND is expected to address himself
during his conference with Lloyd
George.
Sarraut said last night that there
was every likelihood of the delegation
srecciving instructions regarding pol
icy so that the naval committee of
fifteen could proceed with its appor-
tionmcnt when il reconvenes today at
II o'clock. But this rather was
doubted in conference circles, where
it was believed day or two might
have to pass before the work of COM
plotting the naval ratio Of the Big
Five" nations could proceed.
1t was made plain in official cir
clcs that the various delegations are
entirely sympathetic to NJ. Sarraut
and TO Ambassador Jules Jusserand,
his sole remaining associated dele
gate But there is very sharp un-
dcrcurrent of resentment against
Vice Admiral de Bon, chief Of the
French naval staff, for the generally
arrogant manner il which he has ham
died the French naval ratio. As
chief Of staff. and the chief naval eX-
pert Of the delegation, it has been up
to him. to define what France wants.
Il has developed that, in his discus
sion before the committee, he lntl-
mated that American naval ambitions
have been much in evidence since the
close Of the war He proposed that
France should be accorded the right
to build enough warships to bring
her fleet up to date and insisted that
in doing SO France would further gen
| era! scientific progress by her expert
ments.
1t was because OF this statement
that Arthur J. Balfour, of the Brit
iSh delegation, waxed sarcastic in
critcising the French demands. And
it was because Of this situation that
it was necessary for the chairman Of
the French delegation to spend much
time in endcavoring to reconcile the
French proposition with the objects
Of the conference.
However, officials generally ex-
pcct that the French demands will
be reduced materially shortly. There
| is no real alarm in conference circles
that the French delegation will stick
to its demand to thc point of break
/ ing up the conference However,
there is no effort to deny that the
situation that has arisen as the result
of the French attitude has not made
! for either general harmony or in
creasing friendship for that govern
mcnt. If the demand was put forth
as a dual bluff and attempt to create
! trading material it has failed utterly.
! If it was put forth as sincere posi-
ton of national desires it was, Of
ficials declare, most unfortunate, to
say the least. It has resulted in tre-
mcndous harm to the French cause in
the United States.
I In anticipation that the French
/ situation will be ironed out within
coming week, British headquarters
announced last night that Arthur J.
Balfour and Lord Lee of Fareham
will sail for England December 81 on
the Olympic. Their tentative reserva-
.ions have been confirmed and made
permanent. They will leave Ambas-
sador Geddes to handle all matters
that will remain to be settled by that
date.