Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-04
HOOVER CONFERS
WITH OFFICIALS ON
NAVAL LIMITATION
Stimson and Others CIoseted
With President for Two
Hours.
DETAILS MAY BE Barred
IN PART LATER TODAY
Macdonald Silent After Revelation
at Geneva of Progress of
Negotiations.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
President Hoover conferred for two
hours early this morning with Secre-
tary stimson and group of high rank
ing naval officers on the question of
naval limitations.
Except the information that the dis
cussion had to do with the proposed
naval accord between the United States
and Great Britain. nothing was di-
vulged at the White House. but later
Mr.. Stimson reiterated a statement OF
late yesterday that much hard work
would be necessary before the two coun-
tries could reach an agreement on naval
equality, and that today's conference
was given to a discussion of details.
Officials at Conference.
Besides Stimson, those attending the
conference were Secretary Adams, Un-
dersecretary Cotton OF the State De
partment, and Assistant Secretary
Jahncke of the Navy, Admiral Hughes,
Rear Admirals Long. Jackson, Chase,
Hough, and Reeves; Captains johnson
and Buchanan and Commander Train.
A number of the high naval officials
are members of the Navy General Board
which recently has been devoting close
attention to the discussions on reduc-
ton in sea power between the United
States and Great Britain.
The conference at the White House
breakfast hour.
Upon leaving the executive mansion,
members of the Naval General Board
returned to the Navy Department and
Immediately went into session.
Cautious Feeling Here.
Optimism over the early settlement of
the Anglo-American naval problem as
expressed by Prime Minister Macdonald
in his address before the League As
sembly was received by Washington
officialdom with some reserve.
While the only official comment on
the question was made yesterday by
Stimson. who said that hopeful progress
has been made toward an agreement
between the United States and Great
Britain, the attitude in official circles
here is that much time must be spent
in working out intricate and important
details in the problem.
Stimson's comment yesterday that
work on details must be accomplished
before any final agreement on parity,
or naval equality, could be reached. was
interpreted in diplomatic circles as in
dicating that Washington oficialdom
was anxious that the question be settled
more finally before any definite an
nouncement was made.
The complete viewpoint of each gov
eminent now has been ladi before the
other on the entire question, but it has
been indicated that no agreement could
be hoped for within less than 10 days.
Outstanding among the problems
which the two powers must settle be-
he
the divergent viewpoint on cruisers.
Only a few differences are known to
exist between the two powers on this
question, but these are regarded by
both nations as important points and
ones that will require considerable time
and hard work to adjust The level on
which naval parity would be established
is another question understood to be
under discussion.
Both President Hoover and Secretary
Stimson are determined that these diff
ferences on cruisers which caused the
collapse of the tripartite conference of
1927 must be overcome before there
can be any hope for conference OF
the naval powers to consider further
world armament reduction.
Policy Questions Involved.
Matters Of policy in each country are
involved In the present negotiations and
the hope has been expressed in we'll
informed circles that these can be rec
onciled.
One of the most important details
which has been determined in the ne
gotiations is the period within which
the United States will be able to attain
parity. or naval squality. with Great
Britain When the principle of parity
first was agreed upon by the London
and Washington governments as basic
factor for the future negotiations, it
was obvious to the statesmen and naval
experts in both countries that this
equality could not be attained immedi-
ately.
Consequently, Ambassador Dawes and
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