Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
CONFERENCE SUCCESS FoREsEEN
Acting Secretary Of State and Senator
BOrah Optimistic.

Joseph p. Cotton, Acting Secretary of
State, voiced optimism yesterday for q
successful conclusion of the five-power
Naval Conference, dispelling somewhat
| the pessimistic comment which has fol-
lowed recent reports from London.
He discounted the difficulties con-
| fronting the conference which have
brought the comment from some quar-
| tiers that the American delegation has
resigned itself to a program not of re-
duction, but of limitation, and from
others that the critical attitude struck
by some Senators indicated they might
not ratify any treaty which is achieved
in London.
Any conference must seriously face
knotty problems, the Acting Secretary
suggested, but he could see no peculiar
difficulties which would threaten the
| present parley.
There is nothing to be discouraged
about as yet" he said.
Senator William z. Borah of Idaho,
although he maintained that the con-
ference docs look discouraging" at the
moment, agreed that certainly some re-
duction would be achieved.
I feel that the conference will &C
complish something definite in the way
of reduction" he said. "It Is difficult to
say whether anything can be done in
the auxiliary classes. but the administra-
ton is for reduction, the delegation is
for reduction, and feel that the con-
ference will accomplish some reduc-
ton"
Britten Sees Expansion.
Representative Fred A. Britten of I'LL
nois, chairman of the House naval af-
fairs committee, however, saw in the
London reports of the last week evil
dence that the conference was leading
to expansion, not reduction" of naval
strength and its purpose being pervert-
ed by the British admiralty.
Frankly, I don't expect a treaty
even. I am quite surprised to find that
the Macdonald government is COM
pletely in the grasp of the British Ad-
miralty, which looks on the United
States as potential enemy. We had
hoped that civilians would put their
feet together under the conference
table and increase cordial relations, but
I'm afraid the British Admiralty will
keep us from even coming to definite
treaty.
THE British Admiralty thinks we're
just childish enough to build 1000 ton
ships, of type for which we have abb
Solutely no use. We suggested building
a Rodney type just as a matter of paper
tonnage and a sop to the naval en-
thusiasts. The failure of the confer
ence will rest with the British Admir-
atty and not with the Macdonald gov
eminent.
1T has become an expansion confer.
ence, not a limitation conference at all
and it no longer pretends to be any
. thing else. Why, the tonnage estimate
of 329 900 for the United States is the
highest of any conference yet. Ours al
the Geneva conference was $50 900 tons
We're thinking now of building 77,O0t
tons, or $130,000,0 900 worth OF British
! type ships for which we have no use
It is absurd.
Evidently our statesmen, in the in
terest of some sort of an agreement, arr
inclined to sign such a treaty but i
| won't be ratified. The people won
stand for It,"
| Walsh in Radio Attack.
Senator Thomas j. Walsh of Mon
tana, in q radio address here tonigh
/ over the National BroadcaSting CO..
system, attacked the American delega
Il tons stand on the proposed Mediter
II ranean pact. In concluding his sub
Il ject, Peace" he devoted much OF hi
address to that problem. He said II
II part:
"A storm Of protest has been raises
II against any such agreement on gu
II gether aside from humanitarian con
II siderations, 1t is my judgment that W
II have everything to gain and nothing b
II lose by such an agreement, sitting tn
III apprehensions of those troubled sit
fears Of involvement by q reservation
III like that attached to the Pacific pact
U have no illusions that any such agree