Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29
FRENCH SHIP STAND
FAILS. TO ALARM
Conferees Going to London
Farley With High Hopes
of Success.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Hopes of results from the London
Naval Conference are in no way dimin-
iShed by the French foreign Office MEM
orandum on the subject. 1t discloSeS
moreover, nothing which the american
British and other interested govern
ments have not known before. The
prospects of achieving naval limitation
and reduction are neither promoted nor
1eSsened by Frances pronouncement.
In these phrases can DE summarized
the emotions aroused in the Hoover ad-
miniStration by the somewhat startling
declaration of the French position to-
ward the armament and correlated is
sues which will soon be engaging the
attention of the London conference.
From the outset of the negotiations
looking to the five-power meeting in
January, Paris has made no secret of
its attitude. M. Brands devotion to
the League of Nations and his belief
that it is the bulwark of European
peace have never been concealed.
Neither has his conviction that naval
limitation for the great European mill
tary power like France can only be I'M
dertaken in connection with land arma-
ment. French interest in the League
and French dependence on military
strength are seen at Washington as full
~ justifying the views the Quai d'Orsay
has just expressed on both subjects.
These views are in no sense held to be
destructive of the aims which the Lon
don f1ve-power conference seeks to ac-
compliSh.
Just a Conference.
In responsible American quarters it
Is pointed out to this writer that the
forthcoming naval parley: like all inter
national parleys, is nothing more or
less than what its title implies. It is
q conference. A conference is a place
where governments confer. They come
TO conferences with their own views,
their own requirements and even their
own prejudices. The object of con-
ferences is to give every power sitting
around the table the fullest opportunity
to air its position. to defend it and,
If possible, to persuade co-conferees to
accept it.
The United States will 60 to Lon
don with views and requirements which
Secretary Stimson and his fellow dele
gates will present with all appropriate
vigor. but which they know In advance,
are bound to diverge in important re-
spects from the views and requirements
of other powers. America, for example,
would like to abolish submarines So
would Great Britain. Japan and France
want to retain submarines. Japan
cruiser quota of both the American and
British naEies. Uncle Sam and John
Bull think the Japanese ought to be
content with so per cent of the ton
mage to be allocated to the respective
cruiser fleets Of the United States and
Great Britain.
All Feel Sanguine.
These are some, but not all, Of the
Emergencies in views and needs which,
1t has been known for many months,
will be put forward at London. But
none of the high contracting govern
mentS-certainly not America, Great
Britain or Japan-has ever felt that
these differing attitudes on important
issues, or any Of them. are by them
selves capable of smashing the con-
ference. They will doubtless make
agreement less easy of attainment than
some powers would like Discussion
may be protracted and the conference