Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-12
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Italy Seeks Naval Peace.

With the London treaty now under
going consideration in the United States
Senate, preparatory to ratification, it
Is encouraging to observe that efforts
are in progress in Europe to patch up
the differences left behind by the five
power conference. These grow out of the
failure Of italy and France to Join in
the quintuple pact for limitation of
auxiliary craft. They were specifically
the consequence of the italian demand
for parity with France and of the
French refusal to grant it.
The Rome government has taken the
initiative to end the resultant impasse.
In his maiden discussion Of the confer
ence before the Chamber of Deputies at
the end of last week, Signor Grand,
Premier Mussolini's principal spokesman
In London, expressed the full willingness
Of the italian government to take UP
conversations with France and Great
Britain where they were left of last
month. I'VE are ready at a moments
notice." the Fascist foreign minis
ter said, "to resume the interrupted
negotiations"
Signor Grand conspicuously omitted
all reference to the 29-ship naval pro-
gram just promulgated by Italy and
which the French interpret as an eff
fort to browbeat them into yielding
parity. Nor did he deal with the
various political problems which fill
Franco-Italian relations with strain.
But the Mussolini governments readi-
ness to sit around another conference
table with the French in an effort
to extract the gunpowder from the sit
uation Is q commercially conciliatory
gesture. It will not be easy for the
French to reject it without subjecting
themselves to the suspicion Of pursuing
o dog-tn-the-mange policy.
4 The Italian foreign minister levels
. significant accusation at France on
the score Of her alleged Discrimination
20 face Franco-Italian problems in adj
vance Of the London conference. Had
there been somewhere near the Seine
or the Tiber, Signor Grand suggests,
such o preliminary confabulation as
President Hoover and Premier Macdon-
aid held on the Rapidan, the five-power
parley might have been able to detour
around the blind alley into which it
ran. Documentary evidence was pre-
scented to the italian Parliament on
Friday. purporting TO show that the
French government did not meet any
pre-conference advances from Rome.
Yesterday at Leghorn Mussolini di-
vested himself Of a characteristic pro-
nunciamento on Italy's naval ambitions.
Before our revolution" he thundered,
you not only had hunger for bread, but
for glory. Livourense, the sea is your
fortune!" Whether this illumination,
uttered on the anniversary Of Leghorns
heroic resistance to the besieging Of
Austrian army In 1S4e, Is calculated to
impress the French with the innocence
Of Fascist naval plans is open to some
doubt.
A hopeful sign is that Great Britain
Is actively engaged In the movement to
achieve an accord between the CONT
mental Latin powers. Foreign Secretary
Henderson was laboring with M. BRAND
IN Paris ut the same hour Signor
Grand was proclaining Italy's anxiety
TO q rapprochement In Rome. The
position In the Mediterranean is the
crux Of the whole matter. British in
terests In those waters are always great
and, In view Of pending turmoil In In
dta and Egypt, were never more vital
than now. London for the moment re-
mains adamant to suggestions Of new
British commitments" to insure peace
IN the Mediterranean region. But it
may well be found that q four power
treaty applicable TO it--among Britain,
France, Italy and Spain-will turn out
70 be the only solution Of the Franco
italian naval deadlock.