Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02
BY FRANK H. sIMoNDs.

IL Naval Conference to an abrupt
halt, it is necessary to go back
many months and note the sequence
of political events. Last year the
British Tory government entered a
naval agreement with France which
was designed to end the quarrel over
submarines which had endured since
the days of the Washington Conference
in 1922.
Treaty Stupidity Handled.
This treaty, wholly harmless in itself
was so stupidity handled as to give the
impression of an Anglo-French maneu-
yer aimed against the United States,
q purpose which was not in the minds
of those who made it. But it pre-
voked an outburst of criticism in the
United States, rising to an official
declaration. BY this strength was sup
piled to the supporters of 15-cruiser
bill and fresh fuel to American resent
nent over the Geneva fiasco.
In Britain the outburSt of denuucia-
ton was even more instant and far
reaching, and at once doomed any
agreement. In addition. it supplied
Labor and Liberal opposition with an
effective weapon to be used against the
Tory cabinet. Chamberlain was Pub
hcly denounced as having become the
tool of the French. Finally, because it
at once aroused American bitterness
and British disgust, the French treaty
episode became one Of the issues Of the
campaign in which the Tories were
badly defeated.
Labor. when it came in, not with a
clear majority. but with the assurance
of Liberal support, was expected to
change the character of the Anglo
French relations and quite as we'll to
bring about Anglo-American adjust
ment in outstanding naval issues. Mac
donald was to discharge the French
mortgage and abolish the Anglo-Ameri-
can grudge.
The first signal was supplied when
Snowden went to The Hague and in
suited the French finance minister,
issued an ultimation to the continental
powers, beginning with France, and
spared no pains to make clear that the
Anglo-French entente was OF. The
result of this Hague episode was the
fall of BRAND and the arrival of
Tardieu. obviously chosen to meet the
new British situation.
Old Entente Broken.
Immediately after The Hague, Mac
donald posted of to America and be-
gan his series of intimate conversations
with Hoover, eliminating at the Rapi-
dan. While Americans generally were
little concerned with anything but the
dent, all Europe, beginning with France,
interpreted 1t as definite proof that
Britain had broken of with France;
that the Anglo-French entente, which
had existed since 1904 and had been
responsible for winning the war, was at
an end In its place all saw the rising
combination Of the Engiish-speaki
countries.
For France, in the narrower question
of ornaments, the meeting in Virginia
appeared a deliberate plot to combine
Anglo-American wealth and power to
compel France to limit her ornaments,
beginning with her navy, to suit British
interests. France saw herself threat
ened in the role of second-claSs power.
The question here raised was not how
ever. one of prestige alone. British
labor has been VIGOROUSLY o-German,
both before and since the war. while
Lloyd George developed into a veritable
Franco-phobe. The French saw in the
new situation the purpose of the Labor
party to back Germany against France
in Europe. Thus France would be iso-
lated IN the world, placed between a
hostile Italy, resentful Germany and
an unfrtendly Britain, supported by the
vast wealth and resources of the United
States.
That was the situation out of which
arose the French note in December. In
the background was the naval fact.
France before 1914 had been a strong
second-class maritime power. Owing to
the war and its financial consequences,
she had been obliged to abandon all her
nava! construction, and by 1928 her
meet mad sunk to utter insignificance.
At the Washington Conference her
poverty and fear of the policy of her
creators forced her to accept a battle
snip ratio which beside the British and
American ratios was insignificant. Only
In the matter of submarines had she
helo out. But now. financially restored.
she was able to rebuild her feet. More
over, with colonial empire second only
10 that OF the British and with an
African army necessary for home de-
tense, 1t was essential to protect her
transport communications FINALLY.
4taly was rising as a powerful Medi-
terranean state, ready to challenge the
French position.
Enlarging Navy Planned.
Thus, as early as 1928. France had
aoopte0 naval law which provided the
systematic construction of a French
meet over period of years ending in
1912. Discarding battleships as obSo-
!ete, the French centered on the build
ing OF Dig cruisers, large destroyers and
huge neet of submarines.
On the British side of the Channel
TINS French program aroused bitter re-
sentiment and genuine apprehension. At
washington the submarine issue had
Deen bitterly contested. Memories of the
World War had remained fresh in Brit
lsh minds, and here was rising a new
naval challenge. France, with her coast
facing the Atlantic from Dunkirk to
spain, was possessed of an infinite
NUMBER OF bases from which her sub
marines could 1
that with an equal advantage and SUBJ
marine strength Germany might have
won the war in 1917. That France
would now be starting the naval game,
while already possessing the greatest
army and the largest air feet in the
world, reused British fears. Moreover,
that France. whom the British regarded
as having been saved in the war by
English aid. and forgiven vast debts
afterwsrd as well as guaranteed under
the Locarno pact should take such a
me reused an anger quite as power
IuI as the actual apprehension stirred
by the naval program itself.
But the British were placed in an ex-
ceedingly awkward situation. The
United States not only demanded parity
IN all branches, which now every sane
asked cheap parity, parity arrived at by
reduction of British figures instead Of
enormous American building
British Cut Conditioned.
But here even Macdonald was help
less. The country, which was clearly
behind him in meeting every reason
able American demand, and ready to
overthrow the admiralty If it opposed
settlement with the United States, was
just as clearly unwilling to permit Brit
ish security to fall below the level OF