Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26
Conversation Between Pre-
mier Tardieu and Foreign
Minister Grandi Again Fails
to Accomplish Agreement.
MATTER NOW REGARDED
MAJOR ARMS PROBLEM
Neither Delegate Will Yield to
Other on Comparative Strength
of Fleets to Which Continental
Nations Should Be Entitled for
Proper Security.
BY the Associated Press.


LONDON, January U.s. To-
nights encounter between Foreign
Secretary Dino Grandi and Pre-
mier Andre Tardieu once again
failed to achieve the result sought
by both delegations of healing
the differences between the
French and Italian naval view
points. This problem was be-
lieved to constitute one of the
greatest dangers to the success of
the f1ve-power conference.
Not even a Semi-offlcial state
ment followed this conversation,
but 1t was understood that M.
Tardieu again enumerated the
naval needs of France to defend
her long coaStline on three seas
and to protect the next most vast
colonial empire after that of
Britain.
The French premier came to
the conclusion that no other
country of continental Europe
has needs comparable with those
of France and so no other nation
of continental Europe can claim
a fleet equal to hers.
1t was reported that Signor Grandi
opposed to these arguments the fact
that Italy is almost an island with TO-
600 900 Of her sons scattered in various
parts of the world, while the homeland,
opening only on the Mediterranean
lacks SUFFICIENT food and raw materials
for her population.
ItaIy's Contentious.
He also pointed out that italy must
defend not only her coasts and COM
munications, but also her principal
cities, all Of which, except for Milan
and Turin. are situated on or near the
seacoast so as to be open to lombard
ment by an enemy feet.
He emphasized that the needs Of
Italy are not absolute, but are relative
to the sea strength Of other countries.
Italy. therefore. feels obliged to insist on
parity with the continental European
power having the strongest feet. He
emphasized that this demand was not
directed against France as q nation, but
affected her simply because France now
has the strongest continental navy.
Although neither Of the statesmen
yielded anything to the viewpoint of
the other, the hope was still entertained
that some progress may be made in the
meetings to occur next week. There will
be none tomorrow.
The Franco Italian situation DOM
mated today's proceedings among the
delegates, who are still struggling to find
q suitable political background for stag
ing their naval disarmament programs.
Others Look On.
While the French premier and the
italian foreign minister talked this
evening, the Japanese looked on eau
tiously from their London headquarters
and Prime Minister Macdonald and
Secretary of State Stimson rested in
the quiet of their country retreats. =
Although no progress was reported
after the Franco-Italian discussions,
conference circles do not despair, but
regard the meeting as one of long
series of conversations that will prob
ably be necessary to clear away the
causes for dispute.
Premier Tardieu described the talk
as extremely cordial and marked by
good humor on both sides. SignOr
Grandi. emerging from the headquar-
tiers of the French delegation and
warding of the advance of eager news
paper men, exclaimed: THE attack is
on!" But he referred to the newspaper
men rather than to the French states
men. In any event he declined to sur
render and be questioned.
Though the first week of the con-
ference has ended without signs of SEN
sationally rapid progress, plans have
been perfected for resuming the work
on Monday morning, when the chiefs
of the five delegations will meet az
10 Downing Street to discuss the gen.
eral agenda for the conference.
After this meeting the order in which
the categories of ships will be taken
up will probably be known. 1t is
believed that a general compromise
between the methods of measuring
naval strength by global tonnage and
by categories has been tentatively
reached.
The Americans are standing strongly
for graphing with cruisers at the very
beginning, but the British and the
French are in favor of starting with the
question of battleships The japanese
have so far been in favor of the British
view, but it has been learned authorita-
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