Imperial Valley press., 1929-11-16
announce
DA TE OF
PARLEY
Naval Conference Will
Open In London About
January Il.
NAVY MEN AT ODDS
Attitude OF Jones Holds
Up Final Appointment
OF Delegation.
BY LYLE c. WILSON
United Press Staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Nov. Ii. W.P)-
Plans for the Forthcoming naval con-
ference in London were taking shape
rapidly today.
The state department announced
the American embassy in London
had agreed TO January 21 as the
starting date of the meeting. Tent
ative plans call for the principal
American delegates and advisors to
sail on the Olympic on Jan. II. Sub
ordinate members of the party prob
ably will travel on an American boat
if the shipping board has satisfact-
DRY sailing date.
Delay in announcing names of
American delegates and advisors for
the conference has resulted partly
by Rear Admiral Hilary Jones in.
decision regarding acceptance of ap-
pointmcnt TO the advisory group, 1t
appeared today.
President Hoover has named See
rotary of State Stimson to head the
delegation and Senator Reed, Rcpub-
hcan, Pennsylvania, and Robinson,
Democrat, Arkansas, rs members.
Two or three additional delegates
await appointment. One of these
will bc Ambassador Dawes. Stimuli
taneously with the naming of Stm-
son. and the senators, Mr.. Hoover
said Jones and Admiral William V.
Pratt would head the naval group
with equal rank as advisors although
incithcr would be a member of the
vdelegation proper. q,
Jones has Unexpectedly intimatcd
reluctance to accept the appointment
partly because his rank is inferior to
Pratt's but largely on account OF
disagreement with Stimson regard
ing procedure. Jones wants the
American delegation bound by an
iron clad program before IT goes to
London. Stimson and other inter
cSted civilians prefer the delegation
bargaining within limits, with rep
rcsentativcs of Great Britain, France,
Italy and Japan.
Now In Navy
4 considerable group within the
navy general board supports Jones.
Pratt leads the other wing of opin-
-
there has developed considerable
feeling which, while not seriously
menacing Mr.. Hoover's program, is
unwelcomc. The feeling among civil
ian authorities is that the recalei-
irant admirals are taking short
sighted view of the situation.
Reports from naval circles ;ndi-
cate suspicion that the 100 per cent
civilian complexion of the American
delegation proper fails to provide
proper protection for basic Ameri-
can naval requirements. There Is
nn intimation some officers fear the
havy will be sold out by the civilians
who either will succumb to foreign
diplomatic Establishments or forget
naval necessities in the pursuit of
u reduction agreement. Prevalence
Of this belief among restricted
groups has been considered by Sec.
rctary Stimson among problems CON
fronting him as leader of the Amer
lean delegation.
Civilian authorities consider the
navy's best chance in years for real
stability lies in cooperation in the
conference program which, it is em-
phasizcd, would assure definite
program for the navy at least until
1890. During recent years the navy
department frequently has had to
fights its battle for money alone and
there never has been certainty from
one year to the next that an adopt
"a program would be carried out.