New Britain herald., 1930-01-29
POURING OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS

EOCBLED WAIIRS
 + IS evident from cable dispatches that France and Italy are trying 10 come to an agreement regarding join control Of the Mediterranean, There is the customary amount Of claim and counter claim, leaving the impression that neither power IS inclined to accept plan that vii! give the other the semblancc oc an advantage.
 What is needed is Mcditer- ranean treaty along the lines Of the four power Pacific treaty signed at the Washington conference in 192l-22. This treaty provided that if there should develop a contro- vcrsy that could not be settled by diplomacy, then the other contract ing parties would be called in to d joint conference for adjustment.
 Neither France or Italy regards Mediterranean control as worth war and indeed, control could not be settled that way in regard to this inland sea. France has been willing 10 grant Italy parity in the Mediterranean but insists she re- quires additional naval strength 10 defend her seacoast along the At lantic and the English Channel and 10 keep open communications with her non- Mediterranean colonies. Italy thinks that such additional naval strength could be used in the Mediterranean as well as elsewhere.
 In case the United States became. d party 10 a Mediterranean treaty she would need to commit herself 10 nothing more than a willingness 10 confer and consult if occasion de- manded. This. indeed. is all she is bound 10 do under the Kelloss- Briand treaty for the rcnunciatlon 0: war, although according to some interpretations Of this treaty there is q moral obligation 10 use coerciNc measures against any power yo- .aiing the treaty.
 One is reminded Of what Prcsi- dent Wilson said of Article X of the League Covenant The war president declared this article constituted 8 moral. not legal obligation leaving Congress free to put it's own interpretation upon it in all cases calling for action
 The American Senate, however as in the case Of the League fight, ls still 10 be rcckoncd with in relation 10 whatever commitments are made in connection with a Mediterranean treaty. Opposition IS already being voiced in Washington against any agrccmant signed in London for consultation among the great pow CTS in case war should be threaten cd in the Mediterranean. Such scna- torial opposition to mere consulta- ton to avoid a conflict among others seems far-fetched. 1T such consultation is possible in the case of controversy in the Pacific, and under the Kellogg Briand pact. it would seem that one more step in connection with affairs in tn" Mediterranean would not be more dangerous than the other steps al ready taken. Rather than be afraid to give advice over q consultation table the Senate should consider l; an lonor to tho country 10 haN@ such a definite influence in world affairs when there is nothing but q mora obligation attached, ana when the nations hands arc not tee 10 any line or action other thai consultation. II ls like an cAcc'l- . tive of one business concern heinz ionorcd with a scat OH the board of directors of anothc". Such thing arc common. and they Go not as 7 i rule cause the executive to lose hi ! interest in his own busIncss.