Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
London Naval Farley to
Cost Uncle Sam Heavily
BY DREW PEARSON.

Judging by the plans which the State
Department is making for the London
Naval Conference. it will be the most
important international gathering in
Wnlcn the United States has particl-
pated since the Paris Peace Conferences
A total Of 100000 is being asked
OF Congress to pay the expenses of
the American delegation to London. ru
rent two floors in the Ritz-Carlton
Hotel, to pay for steady stream OF
cables between London and Washing
ton, and to Offset all the tips, dinners.
taxlS and other incidentals necessary
IN attending great international con-
ference.
When State Department oficials in
formed Secretary of State Stimson and
President Hoover that this rather large
figure would be necessary to pay for
getting a naval treaty they were some
what taken back. Neither of them had
had previous experience in conducting
a large international conference and
appeared to be amazed that, so mucn
money was required.
Xxx
Experts who have helped conduct
previous conferences, however. believe
that more than a quarter million dol
lars will be expended at London by this
Government. In proof of this they
point out that the Washington Naval
Conference cost $3.50, 900, despite the
fact that the United States had no
steamship fares to pay to transport It's
delegation. no hotel bills to pay for them
abroad. nor no cable tolls to connect
its delegation with the White House
American participation in the Paris
Peace Conference, which dragged OUT
for months, cost total of 81 .703, 712 .06.
1t is not contemplated that the ex-
penses of the American delegation to
London shall run anywhere near this
high.
other international conferences have
not been as expensive as the Wash
the United States a stable slice of
its budget every year. The cost OF
the Sixth Pan-American Conferences,
which President Coolidge attended at
Havana in 1928, cost $4,000. AS far
as congressional appropriations were
concerned, this was not enough, how
ever, and the State Department drew
the balance from its emergency fund.
How much it drew the State Depars-
ment refuses to say. so that the tota;
cost of the Pan-American Conference
remains a secret.
Congress appropriated $4,000 for the
Pan American Arbitration Conference
held in Washington last Winter, ana
it also appropriated $4,000 for the
expenses of the American delegation
to the Preparatory Commission on Dis
armament at Geneva. The cost of
the three power Geneva Naval Confer
ence of 1927 also remains a secret,
since the State Department refuses to
divulge the extent to which it had
to dip into the emergency fund to pay
for it.
< X x x
The American delegation to London
will consist of about so to 70 clerks,
stenographers, code experts, legal ex-
pertS and archivists, in addition to the
seven full members of the delegation
and the naval advisers. They are plan
ming to take with them varied as
sortment of books. documents and
phernalia-enough to I'LL q consid-
cradle part OF the steamer on which
they sail.
Secretary Stimson has not yet de-
cided what this vessel is to be, due
to the fact that he wants to sail ON
an American liner If possible and there
Is none available at the date the dele
cation desires to sail. Therefore, either
the Olympic will be selected, or else
the sailing date of the Leviathan
will be changed to January IL instead
of January Is. The Olympic sails on
January IL, which would put the dele
cation in London on January II. lust
four days before the conference begins.
Probably the biggest items Of eA-
pense after the American delegation
arrives In London will be hotel bills
and cable tolls. Very few people have
any conception Of the amount of
money consumed during an interna-
tional conference in cabling instruc-
ttonS and reports back and forth be-
tween Q delegation and the home