New Britain herald., 1930-01-02
Observers Believe Third Effort May Be Americas Last - Two Previous Meetings Have Failed to Complete Work Begun.

Washington, Jan. tuF)-As the new veal opens the world IS about 10 witness the third attempt by the United States within decade 10 stop the naval race of the chief powers.
 < One week from today Secretary Of State Stimson, heading the American delegation to the London arms conference, sails on the George Washington which carried Woodrow Wilson 10 the Paris peace conference.
 Wilson Move Duplicated
 Wilson's mission Was 10 bring permanent peace 10 war torn world on the basis Of II points, The mission which the United States now undertakes is 10 prevent another such dangerous naval race hs that between Great Britain and Germany which led to the world war.
 In 1921. the United States called the Washington arms conference and asked the other four leading naval powers 10 join in limiting their navies. France insisted upon such a heavy submarine fleet that Britain refused to limit her cruis- CTS, insisting they were necessary for defense.
 The result was that batueship fleets were reduced and limited but the powers remained free to build as many cruisers, submarines and dcstroyers as they wished, 4 cruis- CT building program by Britain provoked a strong demand in America for a big cruiser fleet 10 match.
 g. In 1927, the United States sought to ward off this threatened race by calling the Geneva arms conference. France and Italy refused to join. The United States, Britain and Japan settled down to limit cruiser, submarine and destroyer fleets. But with France out of the conference, Britain to play safc insisted upon q fleet ot 70 cruisers. The United States felt that if this was as low as the British would go q limitation treaty at that level would be d farce. The conference broke Up. The United States started to build cruis- CTS.
 Believe Move Final Effort
 Last year President Hoover de eided to make another-and what many in this country regard as a fnal-effort to stave off deadly naval race. Ramsay Macdonald. an outstanding British paCifist. became prime minister in May. Preliminary conversations began, followed by MacDonald's s visit to the United States. IL Was decided to hold a naval JcoHferencc in London. Great Britain, with the cooperation Of the United States, asked Japan, France and Italy to attend. All have aC- cepted, The conference begins late in January.
 Clouds are gathering. France has laid down conditions which cause many here 10 doubt whether her demands can be satisfied. She iu- slsts first Of all that any agree monls at the London conference be purely tentative recommendation f the lcague Of nations effort 10 achieve world disarmament The United States prefers 10 work piccemcal aud take what can bc had now without waiting for thc lcagnc. which has made little progress in its disarmament plan.
 Even if this difficulty can bc ad- iusted by contingent arrangements, France is still expected 10 insist upon such q large submarine fleet as to cause difficulty similar to that which frustrated the Washington conference in its effort to limit cruisers and other minor craft. Agreement with British
 The hopeful factor from. the point ot view of the United States is that there is substantial agrc"- ment with Britain. These two gov ernments are within 3o,00o tons of agreement on cruisers. Inasmuch as the Anglo-Amcricau differences