Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-22
Hoover Is Seen
/ in Bold Move
at Geneva
NEW FARLEY
HELD POSSIBLE
America Is Declared
Ready for Any
Sane Offers.

BY the Associated Press.
GENEVA, April 22.-Hugh 5.
Gibson, American Ambassador to
Belgium, presenting an eagerly
awaited American thesis before
the Preparatory Disarmament
Commission today, appealed for a
fresh examination of the entire
problem, based on the idea that
all nations are going to be friends
and settle their difficulties by
peaceful methods.
Through Mr.. GibSon's address,
President Hoover is generally
deemed in Geneva to have
launched an important move to
place the relations between the
United States and Great Britain
on a firm foundation of collabora-
ton and friendliness.
Mr.. Gibson's declaration CT
American policy, in brief, was a
1 statement to the world that the
United States was ready to make
substantial reductions in naval
strength and sought a common
h sense naval agreement, based on
the idea that nations are going to
be friends.
The United States, Mr.. Gibson ex-
planned, had found no reason Tor modl-
Tying it's view that the simplest, falreSt
and most practical method is that OF
limitation by tonnage of categorles. Az
the same time he announced that IN
the hope of facilitating general agree
ment as to naval arman1entS, the amer
ican Government was disposed 10 accept
the French proposal whereby total
tonnage would be assigned to each ma
ton ahd this total divided among cate
gorieS of ships by specified tonnages as
q basis of discussion.
End of Rivalry Seen.
BY today's appeal President Hoover
was felt here to have assured Great
Britain, through Mr.. Gibson, tnaG the
United States attaches more importance
to friendships with Britain than TO any
possible American naval supremacy,
that the American declaration pro-
foundly affected international life, as
reflected in the preparatory disarma-
ment conference.
Lord Cushendun of Great Britain
and the representatives OF the three
remaining big naval powers, japan,
France and Italy, all Immediately hailed
the spirit of Mr.. Gibson's statement
and expressed the conviction that II
held out high hopes for settlement OF
the naval problem.
Lord Cushendun declared that Great
Britain, like the United States, was
ready for reductions of naval forces III
all categories of warships. He attached
particular Importance to a suggestion
by Mr.. Gibson concerning equivalent
naval values and to the possibility of
considering other factors than tonnage
alone.
Cruisers Are Factor.
Although nothing was definitely
known of the American attitude, the
impression prevailed at the conference
that the United States would be dis
posed to take into consideration Great
Britain's proclaimed need for large
number Of smaller sized cruisers and
perhaps give less percentage value OF
strength to cruisers than would be In
dicated by their individual tonnage.
President Loudon summed up the I'M
preston of the commission by congrat-
ulating Mr.. Gibson on his most i'm
portant address and by expressing the
conviction that it would give fresh en-
ergy to the work of disarmament.
LET us not forget that it is primarily
upon agreement among the great naval
powers that the success Of disarmament
depends" he said.
New Conference Possible.
Mr.. Gibson's suggestions will be dis
cusSed at later session. There was
considerable speculation as to whether
today's American initiative will lead
eventually to a special naval conference
of the five big powers. The best lntor-
nation available was that the United
States was willing to consider any sug-
gestions as it merely sought results with
the greatest possible speed.
It was understood that the American
policy, above all things, was not to
seek to put the onuS on any nation FOL
failures of the past. The United States
was said to be convinced that when the
nations were assured that they needed
fleets only for defense and not for ag.
xression, a naval pact would be achieved
Mr.. Gibson's speech was made in ar
atmosphere of intense expectation anc
interest. He had every ear as he began