Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-19
FRANCE AND ITALY
HOLD FARLEY KEY
Americans Submit Ideas in
Hope to Break Present
StaIemate.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, March 1.-the American
delegation to the Naval Conference,
sticking persistently to its slogan,
Never Say DE-" met today to dis
cuss among themselves the Franco
italian parity stalemate.
1t was understood that Ambassador
Morrow and Comdr. Harold Train,
technical expert, who have been spe-
cially working on this situation, which
threatens to cause at least partial
wreckage of the conference, submitted
ideas which they thought might afford
the basis of discussion between the two
European neighbors.
1t is possible that these schemes will
never see the light Of day. The dim
Guilty Is said to be that the Americans
could not with propriety volunteer their
services as mediators between italy and
France, although the American dele
CATION Is understood to be hoping to
be invited to intervene by one or the
other Of the two parties.
Lunch With Americans.
Observers say that the big problem
now Is to get the French and Italians
to face each other across the confer
ence table. Neither has budged from
its original stand, Italy for naval parity
SASt
concede. What the other delegations
now want is to get the French and
Italians to discuss any one OF numer-
Gus schemes which have been figured
out as q basis for possible compromise
Prime Minister Macdonald and A. "
Alexander, first lord of the admiralty
had lunch at the American headquar-
tiers today, and it was assumed the
Franco-Italian situation came under
survey. The Americans present were
Secretary Stimson, Ambassadors Dawes
and Morrow and Senator Reed.
During the day there was q hurry
over q report printed by the Daily Elk
press that there had been q breach OF
harmony over matters connected with
the American-JapaneSe negotiations
The prime minister was represented as
having taken Secretary Stimson to task
for allowing an alleged misleading i'm
preston to circulate that Toxic was
ready to accept q settlement PROPOSE
ton, and that there was likelihood OF
a three-power agreement should the
Franco Italian problem prove unsolv-
able.
An American spokesman character
lied this as simply foolish" while
Prime Minister Macdonald specially d.
rected the British spokesman to deny
the story. The spokesman told news
paper men that the report was "abso-
lutely and gratuitously false"
Reed Met Ambassador.
Another report, circulated by Brit
ish news agency, that Ambassador Mat
sudaira had called on Secretary Slim
son to warn him of an impending re-
lection by Toxic Of the American terms
and to give notice Of japanese counter
proposals, also met with emphatic
American denial.
AS q matter Of fact, It was authori-
tatively stated, it was Senator Reed
and not Secretary Stimson who met the
Japanese Ambassador and they did not
discuss the question Of Tokio's approval
or disapproval Of the Japanese-Aner-
lean delegations agreement. They dis
cussed the Franco italian situation, the
Japanese being interested from an in
formative viewpoint.
Tokio's reply, 1t was sufmised In
American quarters, will be In by the
latter part of the week. No surprise
will be caused If the Toxic government
should ask its delegation to try for more
8-inch-gun cruisers, which, it is FORE
cast, would be refused by the Amer
leans. Toxic would then be informed,
and the opinion Is expressed in confer
ence circles that the Japanese govern
ment would not be inclined to push the
matter further.