Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-23
Tardieu.Briand Government
Expected to Take Firm
Stand at London.
BIGGER RATIO DEMAND
PROBABLY TO BE MADE
May Insist on End of Capital Ships
if Request Is Made to
Cut Submarines.
BY PAUL SCOTT MoWRER,

News Copyright, 1929.
PARIS, November 23.-The entire
future of the Iondon naval nego-
tiations depends at the present moment
on France.
Gen. Dawes knew%this very we'll when
he came to Paris the other day to visit
his old friend, Gen. Payot.
Demonstration of the foregoing state
ment is simple. American views are
now public. The United States is will
ing to cut its Navy to any figure, no
matter how low, as long as it enjoys
parity with Great Britain. Britain is
unwilling or unable to Ak figures finally
until she knows what Japan, France and
Italy intend to demand. Japan has
stated in a note that she will require a
cruiser ratio of 10-10-7 instead OF
1o--10-6. Italy similarly declares that
she is willing to cut to any figure as
long as she enjoys parity with France.
Thus, for the present moment, 1t can
be said that the only viewpoint still
unknown is that of France. The writer
is in position to give herewith a par
tial statement of the French viewpoint.
The whole viewpoint cannot yet be
published because it Is not yet fixed by
the government and the experts them
selves.
Stand to Be Firm.
But the main lines are available, and
they are such as to give serious pause
to the delegates of the other powers
who may have imagined that France
could be dealt with as easily this time
as at Washington in 1922. The truth
appears to be exactly the contrary. The
French position will be exceedingly
firm. Let us consider first French pub
lie opinion. 1t is pacifiSt and favors dis
armament But in naval matters there
is strong feeling that France has been
unjustly treated, and the nation tavors
rectifying this supposed injustice.
France, in 1913, may be said to have
occupied third rank, being surpassed
only by Great Britain and Germany.
AS a matter of fact, France held first
rank in submarines and torpedo boats,
second rank In big cruisers, third in
destroyers and light cruisers, and fourth
in capital ships and naval expenditures.
During the war France left naval de-
fense to her allies and exerted the whole
of her effort on land. She built few
ships and lost many. Meanwhile Japan,
italy all built heavily, with the result
that at the washington conference
France was asked to accept a perma-
nent status of one-third the British
and American fleets, half of Japan's
and equal to Italy's. France acquiesced
but only for capital ships, in which she
had long been losing interest. Also the
way in which France was excluded
during three weeks at Washington from
the major negotiations offended the
country deeply, from Premier Aristide
BRAND right down to the rank and file
Of public-spirited peasants.
BRAND Was Hopeful
At the time Of the Washington con-
ference the French army was nearly
100000 strong, French finances were
going from bad to worse, Italy was no.
toriously pacifiSt, and BRAND still hoped
by concessions to win the favor OF
Britain and the United States.
Now everything has changed. The
army has been cut in half. Finances
are flourishing. Italy is openly deSir-
GUS of annexlng the French colonies
can be gained by further concessions
to Great Britain and the United States
Concessions to Germany are another
matter. These are still possible because
the French fundamental policy is based
on Franco-German rapprochement. But
French opinion is unwilling to envisage
that concessions to Germany should be
accompanied by similar concessions to
Italy, Britain and the United States.
French opinion resents the way the
Franco British compromise of a year
ago was attacked by the very people
who now praise the Anglo-American
IrtH he f1xJ Hcfo
ing to the British American conversa-
tiorls, France has become fully con-
vinced that it is absolutely necessary
for first-class power to have a navy,
else others will never respect it. Even
if BRAND were to head the French dele
cation to London, France would be
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