The New York herald., 1922-05-29
FRANCE FOR DELAY
IN ARMS TREATIES
Against Ratification of Wash
ington Pacts Until European
Horizon Clears.
BACKED BY U. s. POLICY
Menace Is Seen in Possible
Military Alliance Between
Russia and Germany.

Special Cable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1899, by THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Paris, May %.
With France enjoying a closer rap
prochement with the United States than
has been possible for many months as
the result of the similar attitude taken
by the two countries on the Genoa con-
ference and the Rapallo treaty. the
French Parliament does not intend to
take up the ratification of the Washing
ton treaties until the European horizon
is free of its present troublesome fac
tors. which include possible military
alliance between Germany and Russia
as the logical sequence to the Rapallo
pact.
According to information obtained by
THE New York HERALD correspondent
from well informed political circles,
Premier Poineare has abandoned his
original Intention of bringing up the
Washington agreements even with the
reservations talked about at Washing
ton and with the provision that France
be permitted to increase her quota OF
submarines for purely defensive pur-
poses beyond the limits envisaged by
the Washington negotiations.
Want Ratification Delayed.
The political leaders of all parties
seem unanimously in favor of delaying
ratification for an indefinite period,
pointing out~that with the European po-
litical situation menaced anew by the
Russian attitude 1t would be unwise to
commence the debate as long as the
fundamental premises of European peace
still are in doubt. -
This Is taken as meaning that the
Washington agreements cannot be
brought before the Chamber at least un-
I'll after the Hague conference, which, in
view of the Parliament's summer vaca-
tion. postpones all naval and other dis
armament talk until probably next Oc-
tober.
II is pointed out in official circles here
that the Washington conference did not
make any provisions as to the time limit
within which the agreements are to be
ratified In order to make them effective
internationally. This also is causing
hesitancy on the part of French poll
ticians to ratify as long as all the other
nations are holding back even tenn
porarily.
But according to some observers,
Frances decision TO allow the United
States to take the lead in any change OF
attitude toward the Soviets Is having
subtle influence on the French official
attitude toward the Washington pacts
1t Is known that the opening OF any
naval disarmament debate will result In
a strenuous hattie, on which even the
fate of the French Cabinet might de-
pend.
Fear Action of Hotheads,
Those who advocate strong France
as the backbone Of European safety
against Bolshevism and German re-
venge would not hesitate in the Cham
ber debates to criticize ex-Premier
concilatory maneuvers at
Washington demanding dificult ex-
plantations as to the British ascenency
In the debates there, and II Is feared
that notheads in the Chamber would
seize this opportunity to make rehee-
tions which would interfere most inop-
portunely with Poincare's desire TO
Franco o-Ameriean friendship
while striving for an Angio-French
agreement
Naturally the Cabinet is not stress
ing this reason. but is merely attribut-
ing thc new delay to the necessity OF
settling such problems as The Hague
budget equilibrium, further
debate on the passage OF the army SER
Nice bill. and the forthcoming struggle
over the increasing communist propa-
ganda, before the Washington treaties,
which already are considered TO be ac-
cepted in principle, are given fnal ap-
proyal by the French Government