Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-04
Mr.. Macdonald at Geneva.

MT. MacOOualu al UcnCt@'
World peace in general was the theme
of Mr.. MacDonald's address before the
League Assembly at Geneva yesterday,
but the prospect of an Anglo American
naval entente was its principal note.
The whole American people greets with
satisfaction the premier's statement that
on all but three Of the twenty
points at issue between London
and washington agreement has al
ready been attained. The out
standing points include the ticklish
question of cruiser ratios. But even
this, Mr.. Macdonald declares, will be
ironed out, he is confident, either while
he is still at Geneva or certainly 'efore
the September assembly adjourns.
That is good news and big news.
Conversations have not been ended"
the prime minister explains, but agree
ment has gone very far. do not yet
know what form it will take and shall
say nothing at the moment that would
In any way hamper President Hoover
In his work." There Is no secret as TO
the nature of the work" still confront
ing Mr.. Hoover. That it Is being
pursued along a path not yet cleared
of thorns is manifest from an ad-
monitory statement emanating from
Secretary Stimson. "It will require still
a considerable period of hard EFFORT on
details before an agreement on parity
can be arrived at" the Secretary OF
State cautiously points out. He has
reference to the now celebrated yard
stick" by which President Hoover de-
sires to measure the total Of cruiser
tonnage to which the American and
British navies may be entitled under
parity arrangement.
Meantime we remain entitled to De-
iieye that a final agreement is just over
the horizon. Mr.. Macdonald yesterday
announced that his Labor government
declines absolutely to build against the
United States" He added that ne was
at liberty to say that this is the last
word of any Conservative government
as we'll" If that assurance from the
most exalted place in the British gov
eminent, uttered in forum that. mad
the whole political universe for an audi
ence, does not Danish the prospect OF
senseless Anglo-American naval build
ing race to the limbo of the impossible,
then the pledges Of responsible states
men have ceased to be anything but
mealy-mouthed fiamboyancies. The
American people fiatly reject any sucn
construction of Mr.. MacDonald's words.
Before his formal address at Geneva,
the British premier In a newspaper con-
ference referred to "mischief-makers" IN
various countries, who, for purposes OF
their own, are distorting the nature OF
naval negotiations. In
Europe some of the mischief" has taken
the-form of limiting that the United
States and Great Britain have gone into
a huddle for selfish naval reasons OF
their own and are hagrantly disregard
ing the rights of sister sea powers, main
" Japan, France and Italy. Mr.. Mac
Donald blew that innuendo into .
cooked hat when discussing the naval
situation in the Assembly. He made 1t
crystal-clear that Anglo American nego-
tiations, far from being "a conspiracy
against anybody" are designed FIRST OF
all to be a helpful lead to the rest Of
the world"
Mischief in the United States, TO
which the British prime minister could
of course, not properly refer, takes an
other direction. Its object is to ham,
string President Hoover's negotiations
with Britain by suggesting that ne is
proceeding to obtain parity along lines
which will, In fact, bring only con-
tinuance Of disparity. About all that
needs to be said on this point s>that
nobody yet knows exactly what Mr..
Hoover has in mind, as far as Its tech
nical details are concerned. 1t will be
time enough to assail and reject his
scheme, If it deserves rejection, when
the country and Congress know what
1t is.
Pending such knowledge, Uncle Sam
is content to rest serene and assured on
the pledge given by the President IN
his letter to the head of the American
Legion. complete defense Of the
United States in any contingency" was
laid down in that communication as the
irreducible minimum of naval limitation.
If and when it is demonstrated that
there is any compromise with that
sound principle, there will be occasion
and justification for alarm and protest.
But not until then.