The Washington times., 1929-08-23

II negotiations for an Anglo
American naval agreement continue
to progress at their present satisfac-
tory pace, it is entirely likely that
a call for q general naval confer.
ence will go out from Washington
some time in October-with Premier
Ramsay Macdonald of Great Britain
as its sponsor.
The definite date for MacDon.
AIDS trip to the United States may
be announced this afternoon. At
the White House, it was stated
that President Hoover probably
would have a statement to make
on the nava disarmament question
later nthe day.
Announce Accord
BY that time. it is expected. the
naval experts will have jockeyed
the current negotiations to a point
where the British premier will be
able to announce that substantial
accord" exists between Great Brit.
ain and the United States on the
knotty question Of naval parity.
The invitations to Japan, France
and Italy, the other great naval
powers, to join with Great Britain
and the United States in general
conference would logically follow.
The issuance Of such call from
Washington by a British premier
would give it . joint sponsorship
aspect of considerable moral value.
This is the way administration
officials would like to see things
work out.
1t is realized, however, that there
still remain a great number of
fore such program can be real
ized.
There is the cruiser controversy
on which satisfactory progress" is
being made, but on which neverthe-
less the British and American ex.
perts are still some distance apart.
There is also the uncertain state
Of the reparations situation in
Europe, which has an important
bearing on the projected naval con.
ference.
Macdonald will not be able to come
to Washington. He will be too busy
at home. And In that event, too,
the whole naval reduction project
may be jeopardized by the political
estrangement of England and her
continental neighbors.
May Limit Meet
Administration officials here were
somewhat puzzled today over Lon.
don dispatches limiting that the
proposed conference might include
only Great Britain, the United
States and Japan. Macdonald pub
licly stated only a few days ago
that any naval accord reached be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain would necessarily be de.
pendent upon the willingness OF
the other powers, /. e., France and
Italy, to go along. Neither Wash.
jngton nor London is disposed to
drastically limit navies while leav.
ing other powers free to build as
they please.
There have been mutual cences-
sions by the British and the Aneri-
can negotiators
Britain, it is understood, has
agreed to come down somewhat on
the total cruiser tonnage that her
experts have always insisted upon,
and In return for this the American
viewpoint has been modified concern.
ing Britain's tremendous superior.
ity in 6-inch gun cruisers.
The British insist that q small
cruiser mounting six-inch guns
should be considered "a defensive
vessel as opposed to can offensive
vessel" of the 10,00O.ton type mount.
ing eight.inch guns. Britain has
plenty of six-inch gun cruisers,
- =
5000 tons.
Therefore. it has been proposed
that the United States be content
with parity, or even slight superb
ority, in the eight-inch gun class.
while leaving Britain preponderant
In the small cruiser class. which the
British contend are 90 necessary 10
policS her far.flung trade interests.