Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-24
The Critical Stage at London.

The Critical Stage at London.
The London Naval Conference has
had its ups and downs, and now it ap-
pears to have reached the critical stage.
This does not mean that success will
not finally attend its efforts It means,
however, that the time has CONT when
the delegations and the nations back of
them must be ready to accept compro-
misses, against which in some instances
they have stood out for weeks. It
seems incredible that the five maritime
powers now meeting in London should
be unable to agree on this matter OF
naval limitation. All of them profess
the profoundest interest in world peace.
They are agreed that a race in naval
building can only be heavy burden
on their peoples. who must pay the bills.
They admit that a breakup of the
present conference without accomplish
ment would result in i'll feeling that in
time might breed war. If ever there
were impelling reasons for an adjust
ment of differences, they exist in Lon
don today.
The conferees are waiting for word
from Toxic regarding the compromise
agreed upon tentatively by the delega-
tons of the United States, Japan and
Britain regarding the 10,000-ton cruiser
tonnage to be allotted to the three.
This compromise will be successful, it
Is believed. If it is, Immediately there
viii arise new hope in London. It will
mark the ending of one of the main
difficulties which has threatened the
conference. 1t win place three of the
i've powers in accord and may have its
effect upon the other two, France and
italy, which have been at odds over
the demands of the latter for naval
parity with France.
In some quarters there is today a
tendency to criticize the originators of
the London Conference because there
was not further preparatory work be-
fore the conference assembled. This is
true In Italy and in France. Agree
ment reached between President Hoover
and the British prime minister, Ramsay
Macdonald, was not enough, it is said.
It is true, however, that both France
and Italy were urged to confer prior to
the conference; that they were kept
fully informed regarding the progress
Of the conversations between the United
States and Britain. It is too late for
such criticism. The conference is on.
It must negotiate a naval limitation
treaty or throw UP its hands and quit.
II it does the latter, it viii plunge the
world again into suspicion and distrust.
True. the failure of the conference
will please some shortsighted people in
this country and perhaps others in the
four nations meeting with America at
the conference table in London. The
conference has had to fight against the
work of these people, who believe in
building bigger and bigger navies as
the means Of keeping the peace, since
long before the conferees assembled.
These people are demanding today that
the conferees pack up and come home,
lest their long stay in London cause
greater friction. How utterly ridicu-
lous! The failure Of the conference would
do more to create friction than any
other possible occurrence. Secretary
Adams Of the Navy Department, a
member Of the American delegation now
in London, said In an address over the
radio not long ago that the conferees
would "sit till they settle" 1t is proper
spirit, and one that should have the
backing of patriotic Americans.