Seward daily gateway., 1925-05-18
NAVAL AGREEMENTS SLEEP TRANQUILITY IN
 FRENCH COMMITTEES

PARIS, May 1S.-(P)-The Wash ington naval accords, negotiated by Premier Briand in 1921 and signed under premiership of M. Poincare in 1922, are still awaiting the ratifica- tion of French parliament. The Poin- care cabinet held office for two years after the bills calling for their ratification were introduced in French chamber; general elections have talk en place, the Herriot cabinet endur l ed for ten months and, with the momentous financial problem now confronting the new Painleve minis l try, it appears unlikely that parlia- ment will be called upon to discuss these accords for some time to come. Their present status is unknown be- yond the fact that they have been before the foreign relations commit tee of the chember since the middle of 1922.
 "Pigeon-holed" is the somewhat undignified term used in America which, although it does not appear in the dictionary sanctioned by the French academy, may best describe the fate of the accords.
 The following is short history of the accords, as far as France is con- cerned, since M. Albert Sarraut, who replaced Premier Briand at the head of the French delegation, returned to Paris in the spring of 1922.
 The treaty concerning the "limita- tion of naval armaments" signed at Washington Feb. 6, 1922, was turned over to the committee on foreign affairs in March, 1922. Deputy Guer- nier was entrusted with the task of preparing report on the treaty, and making a recommendation as to it's ratification. He recommended that "the government be authorized to ratify, effective until Dec. 31, 1886 the treaty signed at Washington be. tween the United States of America, the British empire, France, Italy and Japan limiting naval arma. ments."
 A bill bearing the signature of President Alexandre Millerand and presented by Premier Poincare. Fiji nance Minister De Lasteryrie, Naval Minister Raiberi,I War Minister Mag mot and Minister of Public Works Le TrocQuer, calling for the ratifi. cation of the treaty, was then sub referred to the committee on foreign relations. Since then it has not been mentioned again in public discussion, and nothing has been heard of i: in committee.
 The treaty concerning possessions and insular dominions in the Far East" signed Dec. 13, 1921, has had a career similar to the above. Depu- ty Raynaldy, who has since been minister of commerce in teh Herirot cabinet, made report to the com- mittee recommending it's ratification This was Jan g, 1923.
 A bill was subsequently introduc- ed by the Poincare government call ing for prompt ratification. It was referred to the committee on foreign relations, and it is still in the pos session of the committee.
 The treaty relative to "the protec- ton of neutrals in times of war and the use of asphyxiating gas,' also appears to have been chloroform- ed since bill calling for it's ratifi- cation was introduced in the cham. Der by the Poincare government in May, 1923, and then referred to the committee.
 During the tenure of office of Min ister of Marine Dumesnil, in the Her. lriot cabinet, inquiries at the minis try concerning the naval accords al- ways elicited evasive answers.
 Emile Borel, the new minister of marine in the Painleve cabinet, has not, up to the present time, been ap- preached concerning his policy on l the ratification of the Washington treaties