Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-24
BRITAIN IS WILLING
. TO DROP NAVY PACT
Looks to American Aid in
Abandoning Negotiations
With France.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.


Special Cable Dispatch to The star and The
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1928.
LONDON, September 24.-'If any
powers object to the draft of the naval
agreement with France, we are willing
to drop it." high official of the Brit
ish foreign office told the writer today.
The cabinet is meeting this afternoon
and 1t is likely that an official COM
munique about the whole matter will
be issued in the next few days.
Meanwhile the writer's informant
went over the entire history of the
Anglo-French naval pact.
1.-THE difference between the views OF
the United States and Great Britain
regarding naval disarmament" he said.
"is less important than the difference
between France and Great Britain. For
this reason, in order to prepare the
ground for the new naval disarmament
conference. we had to come to an I'M
Outstanding with the French.
Conversation started, at the sug-
gestion of Lord Cushendun, between
the chiefs of staff of the French and
British navies. and we finally succeeded
in bringing the French into line to
agree to restriction of navies by cate
gorieS and not by gross tonnage. 1t
was not an easy matter and in order
to induce the French to yield to our
point of view we were compelled to
yield to their viewpoint regarding land
| disarmament. That is to say. We ac-
/ copied the thesis that reserves should
not be included in limitation of the
size of land armies.
Deemed Great Success.
eve considered this achievement a
! great success, and when Sir Austen
Chamberlain made his announcement
| in the House of Commons we expected
to see the whole world vejoice. In our
draft agreement we never intended to
dictate to the world how strong navies
should be. That was matter to be de-
cided by all the interested powers at
the naval disarmament conference, tor
which we firmly believed we had paved
| the way.
out of courtesy for other govern
mentS we could not publish the details
first from Washington, Toxic and Rome
and see what comments or objections
they might have and make amend
ments, If necessary, in the original agree
ment
1.-The main cause of the failure of
the naval disarmament conference at
! Geneva was that none of the partic-
ipating powers had prepared the ground
before the meeting. We did not want
to repeat that mistake and were sincere
in our belief that by interchange Of
views with various governments We
might come to an agreement which
1 fk1%o
naval disarmament parleys. This was
a delicate matter and naturally all the
conversations had to be kept strictly
confidential.
Call Dealings Bona Eide.
owing to the indiscretions Of the
French press last month, this perfect
ly' honest attempt of the British gov
eminent now is described as a Mach
iavellian plan to form united Euro
pean front against the United States.
1t is unfortunate. but we hope that full
publication of all the documents relat-
ing to the entire business will convince
everybody that our" attempt" to reach
an understanding with the French was
perfectly bona fide and prompted only
by desire to prepare the ground for
a successful naval disarmament con-
ference.
Il may add that the United States
was kept fully informed of all these
developments and possesses all the
facts relating to the Anglo-French I'M
derStanding"
The writer learns from unimpeach-
able sources that the British govern
ment has been seriously worried about
the effect of the Anglo French agree
ment upon public opinion in the United
states and Italy. and contemplated. as
far back as August 2. quietly burying
the whole matter. This, however, did
not suit the French, who, on August 3
asked the foreign Office to publish all
the facts. This the British refused.
The French press then began to be
mdlscreet." Newspaper men known
to be closely connected with the gov
eminent began publishing extracts
from the agreement. while one Warsaw
| gave an almost complete resume of the
| agreement.
1t is said in we'll informed quarters
! that IN order to force Great Britains
hand the French themselves found
| way to aid an American newspaper to
obtain possession of the. circular letter
to French legations abroad which was
published last week. Now if the Brit
| ish should decide to abandon the pact
IL would appear that they had done so
because they were scared by the out
cry of the American press.
All the same. the writer understands
that the British are ready to bury the
Anglo French pact, but are looking to
President Coolidge to help them do
this by an American State Department
| announcement that the pact is unac-
ceptable to the United States. Then
the British government would be able
to wash its hands of the whole matter
and ask other governments to find an
adequate solution of the naval disarma-
nlent question.