Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16
NAVAL CONFERENCE
.RESTSQNM'DONALD
TALK WITH TARDIEU
French Premier Reaches Lon
don for Farley Today With
British Leader.
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
PROVIDE PROBLEM
Question of Limitation Of Craft
Under 10000 Tons Creates
Sharp Divisions.
ny the Associated Press.

ny the Associated Press.
LONDON, March l5.-The fate OF
the London Naval Conference is con-
sidered to be hanging on the converse
ton of Prime Minister Macdonald and
Premier Tardieu at Chequers tomorrow.
The French premier arrived from
Paris tonight and spent the evening
with M. BRAND, French foreign min
aster, and the other French delegates.
Early tomorrow he and BRAND viii
10 to the country retreat of the British
prime minister for one Of the most
important meetings of European states
men since the World War. When they
come back to London tomorrow night
Tardieu and BRAND win carry the
knowledge whether the London Con-
ference has completed its work or
whether there is any use in the nve-
power delegations staying in London
In the hope that France and Italy
can liquidate their naval stalemate.
Accomplishments to Date.
Briefly. conference accomplishments
can be listed under four broad headings:
I. Complete American, British and
Japanese agreement regarding naval
ratios and limitation.
Q. A flve-power battleship holiday
for five years, or until general dis
armament conference is called at
Geneva in 1885.
fare.
4. Settlement of a permanent basis
of important technical problems such
rs the compromise between global and
category tonnage theories.
Tomorrow win tell what hope there
is of adding Franco Italian naval rap
prochement to the list.
Tonight, Italy stands flrm Tor parity
with France. France stand equally
firm against it and against every other
move to reduce her absolute" fleet
needs unless her desires for political
guarantees of national security are
satisfied.
United States Delegation Is Silent
Pending reply from Japan on the
Acknowledgements naval agreement
which was reported to have been
quarters declined to discuss the situa-
Figures and details have not been
made available, but one leading Lon
don paper stated this morning that
there was reason to believe they were
along the following lines:
japanese eight-inch gun cruisers VIII
be limited to los, 400 tons as against
10000 for the United States, but that
notably larger relative strength will be
accorded to Japan in deStroyers and
submarines, amounting to between 20
and 80 per cent Of Americas strength
in these classes.
This compensates for the smaller per-
centage In the cruiser class, 1t Is held,
and forms a satisfactory arrangement
for both countries.
Air Carriers Form Question.
One of the most puzzltng questions
Mt the conference, and one that until
this week has been held In allegiance, Is
that of the limitation Of aircraft car
xiers under 10000 tons.
It was learned tonight that sharp
division exists among the delegations
on this subject, with members Of each
aligned in three different groups.
The first group desires limitation OF
aircraft carriers with tonnage OF less
than 10000, with those built and build
ing taken from the aircraft carrier al
lotments of the washington treaty.
The second wants a special class for
this type of vessel with total tonnage
assigned to each nation under 1t In
addition to the Washington treaty al
1otments.
The third wants built and building
aircraft carriers taken from the cruiser
tonnage, so that the full Washington
allotment would be available for further
aircraft carrier construction.
Two Take United States Tonnage.
If the smaller types of carriers were
taken from the Washington allotmentS.
some American experts contend that
the United States would be placed in
O disadvantageous position, since much
of her carrier tonnage is taken up by
the Saratoga and Lexington, and lit
tie would be left under the Washing.
ton allotments for the latest type OF
1900 and $4,000 ton craft.
The experts found wide divergence
of opinion among the technical adj
viserS.
Another point that must be settled
OF the same time relates to seaplane
carriers, for which the Washington
treaty did not provide.