Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-11
NEXT FARLEY MOVE
! IS UP TO FRENCH
u. S. and Britain offer Good
Win Pledge in Lieu of
Security Pact.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE,
stan Correspondent Of The Star.

GtHn O0TEGSPuHuCub u AnC GbaGs
BY Radio to The Star
LONDON, England, March IL
America and Great Britain have laid
their cards on the table as far as
France is concerned. They have told
her that she must abandon hopes Of
achieving any sort Of military alliance
at London. they have offered her
instead "a pledge of good will and Ia
cific determination" which shall become
ian essential part" Of a flve-power
naval agreement.
Notice of the English-speaking pow
ers' viewpoint. which is universally re-
garded as an irreducible minimum, was
given in Prime Minister Macdonald's
broadcast to the United States Sunday
afternoon. On the sides his statement Is
considered as the most momentous pro-
nouncement yet made at tbs confer"
ence on the grave political issue raised
bv France. Macdonald's language de-
riyes special significance from the cir
cumstances in which it was uttered.
The star correspondent bad ;eached
r,hen,Iers. the prime minister's country
residence, at shutdown for the purpose
of introducing Mr.. Macdonald 10 tnS
American radio audience. BRAND ana
the other members of the French dele
Sation had left Chequers an hour or
two previous after a protracteo con"
ference with the British premier.
II cannot be doubted that the Anglo
American attitude toward Frances
guarantee proposals-now the leaolng
question: before the conference-was
the subject of their discussions
Had Fresh Impressions.
Mr.. Macdonald faced the microphone
fnr his talk to the United States with
impressions of his conversation Win
BRAND fresh In his mind.
The prime minister's revelation OF
Britain's firm determination not 70 as
sumo any military obligation TO France
In connection with naval Limitation
could hardly have taken BRAND by sur
During the past week British public
sentiment has steadily crystallizeo
against any such arrangements. II the
Labor government were to enter into
them its death knell would be sounded
the moment it sought ratification In the
House of Commons. Parliament Is prac-
tically as hostile to that kind Of con-
cession to France as the United States
Senate itself.
While London and the conference
leaders today were pondering over the
ration word arrived that it arouseS I'M
nlense interest In France. The French
press attaches the utmost Importance
to the premier's words, which are de-
scribed as an encouraging sign OF
progress. The Paris Journal Ands the
view outlined by Mr.. Macdonald much
more modest than the ideas; he ex-
pressed ct the. beginning OF the con,
ference, but it constitutes practlcai
objective on which the delegates will
perhaps fall back If they cannot
reach q political agreement" The
final passage of the Journals comment
seems to bear out the prediction cabled
by The Star correspondent last week
on the authority Of an informant well
informed regarding the French policy.
Treaty pledge" Discussed.
The prediction was that BRAND would
choose suitable moment for inform
ing the conference that rather than see
the ideal Of naval limitation wrecked
by the French insistence on security
guarantees the republic would content
herself with less: The informant pro-
ceeded to suggest that sooner or later
BRAND would proclaim his reedtness
to accept some general statement ito
be embodied In the preamble TO naval
treaty"
It is exactly this kind Of pledge"
which Mr.. Macdonald discussed Sum
day.
On the whole, today's news from Paris
viewed the conference quarters as point
ing strongly to such solution TO the
security guarantee problem as has been
attributed to BRAND.
London sees the hand of Hoover in
the determination whereat the United
States and Great Britain seem to have
arrived with reference TO the French.
Mr.. Macdonalds words were bracketed
with those in which he and Hoover, five
months previous to the exact day, joint
~ proclaimed the results Of their con-
versations. The unmistakable emphasis
Mr.. Macdonald now laid upon those
words causes a certain celebrated Anieri-
can phrasemaker now in London, to
observe that the Rapidan had overfiown
in the direction of England, with every
sign that the water will eventually reach
France before many days. There are
the strongest of, indications that the
eighth week of the conference Is des-
tined to be decisive week.