Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17
Sir ESme Howard Declares
He Was Speaking Only
for Himself.
STATEMENT is ISSUED
BY ENVOY OF ENGLAND
Ambassador Asserts Whole Situa-
tion to Be Nothing But -
Tempest in a Teapot"

The impression created here Friday
that Great Britain is preparing to in
itiate new international conference on
naval arms limitation is a misunder-
standing, it was indicated last night.
Sir Esme Howard, British Ambassador
to the United States who issued state
ment that there would seem to be every
reason to believe, now that the l5-crui-
ser bill has become law. q further ef-
fort before long will be made to reach
an agreement between the principal
naval powers of the world for . limita-
ton of naval armaments," last night
stated that this was his personal opinion
and that in no way was ne speaking
for his government.
Sir Esme's supplementary position
came after it had been learned ofhcially
from London that inferences that Great
Britain was about to call an arms parley
were incorrect. He characterized the
whole thing as q tempest in tea
pot" due to a misunderstanding.
The British Ambassador pointed out
that, although his statement may have
been so interpreted in this country. 1t
contained nothing to indicate that Il
was speaking on behalf Of my govern
ment."
Issues Statement.
Sir Esme's statement, prepared at the
embassy last night follows:
IT was recently asked by opinion with
regard to q cablegram from London
foreshadowing early resumption of nego-
tiations for the further limitation OF
armaments. I authorized the publica-
ton Friday of the written answer to this
question, which had prepared but held
pending the enactment of the naval
construction bill so as to avoid any
possible appearance of attempting to
influence in any way the course Of dis
cussion on q matter which In England
we hold to be purely an affair Of the
United States Government and Con-
gress.
This answer contained nothing 10
show that I was speaking on behalf
of INV government. I was, indeed.
merely giving the personal opinion
asked for, which was that the present
situation warranted the assumption
that some efforts in this direction win
be made before 1ong-that Is, before the
next Washington conference at any rate.
'I regret that my omission to state
specifically that, on this occasion as on
many others was not speaking d.
rectly for my government should have
led into this misunderstanding.
Officially Washington was puzzled
when Sir Esme's statement was issued
because no intimation Of q renewed
British interest in an international con-
ference to be called by the London gov
eminent had come to the State Depart
ment through diplomatic channels.
Sir Esme's clear explanation last
night, together with advices from Lon
don, explain the situation and make
plain that the British government has
no intention of calling a conference at
the present time or in the near future.
The preliminary commission OF the
League Is soon to meet in Geneva with
both British and American delegations
around the conference table. Discus
sions here in the opinion of the British
ambassador may lead 10 some conciu-
sion bringing the different naval prob
lens of the two nations nearer to some
agreement In his personal opinion
there may be ground later upon which
conference OF the principal naval
powers could follow the Geneva parley.
He made it plain that the present mis-
understanding over his statement was
something of tempest in teapot
and unimportant as all such tempests
are. At no time, he insisted. has he
sought to mirror the opinions of his
government upon the naval question
or would he do so in public statement.
Agrees With Dispatches.
Sir Esme was in perfect agreement
with cabled dispatches from London
that there has been no change in the
situation since Sir Austen Chamberlain's
statement in the Commons on Feb
ruary that the government was eX-
amining the question of Anglo-Amer-
lean relations based on naval condi-
tions in both countries. but that MOTH
ing expected to follow for some time.
Without this information and based
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