Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-22
LEAGUE COMMITTEE
PLANS ARMAMENT
CONFERENCE SOON
Meeting Would Take Place
BY January, 1929, at
Latest.
FULL GROUP MUST YET
ACT UPON PROPOSAL
Allusion to Franco British Naval
Accord Is Made-Delegate
Explains Pact.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
GENEVA, September 22.-The draft
ing conlnittee has approved a resolution
asking President Loudon of the Prepa-
ratory Disarmament Commission to con-
woke that body at the end of the present
year "or in any case at the beginning
of 1929"
The committee is subbody Of the
League of Nations disarmament COM
mittee and the resolution must still be
taken up before the full committee.
The resolution suggests that the
Council of the League instruct DIR.
Loudon to keep in contact with the gov
ernD.->..S concerned so that he may
be apprised of the progress of their
negotiations.
An allusion to the Franco British
naval accord is made. the wording being
the same at that embodied in the orig
inal draft submitted by NJ. Paul-Bon-
cour. the French delegate, and reading
that "the Assembly notes with satisfac-
ton the steps taken by certain govern
ments to prepare the way for the future
work of the preparatory commission"
Opposes Phrasing.
Signor Marinis of Italy had op-
posed the use of the words taken
steps" and suggested that the words
made efforts" be substituted but this
was not accepted by the committee
Count Won Bernstorff, the German
delegate, who has been insisting that
a definite date for an international con-
ference for reduction of armaments be
inserted in the resolution. said today
that he would abstain from voting when
the resolution is considered in the full
committee
A British spokesman said that Great
Britain and France by their accord
were trying merely to etxend the un-
derlying idea of the Washington naval
treaty. The British thought. he said,
that owing to the difficulties of reach
ing agreement on smaller cruisers it
was much better to make beginning
on the powerful cruisers and Subma-
rines, leaving to the future the posSi-
bility of limiting smaller warshipS.
Briton Explains Pact. =,
Speaking more in detail. he said
that what the accord provides is that
all cruisers carrying guns exceeding
the 6-inch caliber would fall within
the category subject to limitation
Similarly all submarines above 800 tons
would come within the limitation
agreement. He said that both coun-
tries were quite disposed to allow
America to set the pace in fixing the
number of big cruisers
Geneva circles hold that the i'm
portant new feature of the Franco
British accord is the proposal to limit
the total tonnage of big cruisers by
general agreement limiting surface
ships of 10000 tons or less carrying
guns more than six inches and up to
eight inches in caliber
1t is pointed out that the Washing
ton treaty restricted the individual size
placed no limit on the number or total
powers could possess.
Annexed to the accord is table of
four classes of war vessels, two refer
ring to matters settled at Washington.
and two to cruisers and submarines not
settled at Washington.
Covers Wide Ground.
Although the Franco-British accord
occupies less than one typewriter page.
it covers great deal of ground because
it also provides way of extending
the Washington naval treaty to smaller
powers. This met with failure when
attempted at Rome several years ago
at meeting of special commission in
the presence of Russian delegate.
France and Great Britain now pro-
pose that the Leagues preparatory
commission take it up. They suggest
that the smaller states accept the
principles agreed on at Washington
concerning capital ships, which include
battleships, battle cruisers and aircraft
carriers.
The council of the league last night
invited the Colombian, Netherlands and
Chinese governments, which recently
retired from the council. to continue to
collaborate in the work Of the special
commission preparing for an interna-
tional conference on disarmament. AS
states that are members of the council
are automatically members of this COM
Venezuela and Persia Will
take part in the work.
Hungary and Rumania yesterday
agreed that they would open direct
to settle their dispute over
the appropriation of lands in Transy!-
vania by the Rumanian state.