Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-01
NAVAL AGREEMENT
SEEN AS CERTAINTY
Conference Described as
Making Excellent Progress
First Two Weeks.
BY PAUL SCOTT MowRER.

By Radio to The Star and Chicago Daily
News. Copyright, 1880.
LONDON, England. February 1.-The
London Naval Conference, at the end
of the second week, may be described
as making excellent progress. Its ap-
parent slowness is due wholly to the
fact that the real work Is being done
in private conversations, regarding
which the delegates have taken pledge
of strict secrecy
The conference presents two distinct
aspects, one open, the other secret. In
the open the discussion centers around
such technical questions as global ton
mage, categories and transfers. These
have certain Importance, because the
decisions reached on them are destined
to facilitate the ultimate task of pre-
pairing for general disarmament COM
ference, including land and air forces,
and bringing other smaller powers into
the London agreement. For that a
five-power agreement will actually be
reached here seems now a foregone
conclusion.
But in private the actual figures are
being carefully collated and compared,
possible readjustments and reductions
considered and the American plan for
baSing the London agreement on a
nVe-year replacement or building pro-
gram is being discussed. This plan,
while still somewhat nebulous and still
entirely unofficial, has become in a sense
the foundation of the conference. Only
Italy, fails to see its advantages, and
there is reason to believe that italy also
will presently be convinced that it is
the best solution.
Britain Keeps Secret.
The plan apparently originated liz
washington following agreement be-
tween President Hoover and Prime Min
lister Macdonald at the Rapidan camp.
It seems to have been communicated
privately to the British, who seem to
have been favorably disposed, but who
thought that it would be premature to
disclose it fully until the London Con-
ference was well under way or possibly
even deadlocked.
When the japanese delegates passed
through Washington they also were ap-
priSed OF the plan, and except that they
would have preferred a ten-year rather
than f1ve-year agreement, they offered
no objections. This seems to be the true
explanation Of Secretary of State Slim
sons bulletin at the time of the ia
paneSe VlSlC CnaC they and We were I'm
full agreement" 1t also explains Presi-
dent Hoover's confidence some weeks
ago that an agreement would be reach
ed here-h not a five-power then a
three-power agreement, for Great
Britain, the United States and japan
were already agreed in principle in ad-
vance on the eventual basis of the
American plan.
1t remained to sound out the French
and Italians. This was done here after
the Conferenced opened. The French
reaction was frankly favorable, but the
Italian much less So
Unfortunately, Italy seems to have
imagined that the Anglo American
plan, decided on in advance, was to
take the maximum tonnage of these
two biggest powers as the starting point,
then impose the Washington treaty
ratios on Japan, France and Italy, and
make reductions or limitations accord
mgly. The Italians decided to cast
their lot with the British and Americans
in what they thought to be the Anglo
American idea.
When, some days ago, they discovered
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