Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-14
BRITAIN PROPOSES
PACTS TO FRANCE
Macdonald Cabinet Seeks
Compromise Permitting
Fleet Reduction.
BY PAUL SCOTT MowRER.

By Gable to The Star and Chicago Daily
News. Copyright, 1880.
LONDON, England, February IA
With the presentation of the French
figures and the beginning of negotia-
tons for pactS affording guarantees OF
peace, the London conference is now at
last in full swing. Everything which
has happened heretofore has been
merely tentative and preliminary.
On Tuesday, the British cabinet met
and challenged the figures of Prime
Minister Macdonald's agreement at the
Rapidan camp with President Hoover
as too high and as not involving suf-
ncient economies for Great Britain.
The cabinet decided that the only way
to get real reduction is to lower the
French figures so as to enable Great
Britain to come down too.
Pact Negotiations Open.
The ministers realized that one of
the best ways TO do this was to meet
the French desire for one or more new
pacts They authorized Prime Minis
ter Macdonald and Foreign Minister
Henderson to 60 ahead in this respect
Wednesday night French Foreign
Minister BRAND and Mr.. Macdonald
opened the pact negotiations. The
French proposed a new agreement to
consult under the Kellogg pact and to
refuse supplies to pact breaker. This
proposal is now being studied by Brit
ism iurists with a view to submitting
a joint Franco-British proposal to the
United States.
The French had dropped the idea of
a Mediterranean pact They intended
not to propose it again, since Great
Britain seemed to dislike it and Italy
was hostile. It was Mr.. Macdonald
himself uvi1n Tey-iyrnd tho
Mediterranean Pact Offered.
Yesterday morning, Mr.. Macdonald,
Mr.. Henderson, M. BRAND, Premier
Tardieu, Secretary Stimson and AM
bassador Morrow had long talk. Mr..
Henderson offered the French a Medi-
terranean pact not, however, of mutual
assistance. The French are consider
ing this British proposal.
The British further intimated that
II the French come down on their
figures, Great Britain will help France
meet the difficulties presented by the
Italian point of view.
The British and the Americans both
asked for explanations of the French
figures and these were duly promised
It was intimated that if the French
persist In their present tonnage claims,
an agreement here will be difficult The
French asked the British and the
Americans to make some counter Sug-
gestions and emphasized once more
that their figures are tentative and
depend on various otner factors, such
as the security rE1cts.
A careful analysis of the French
figures reveals that whereas the French
memorandum estimates the present
strength of the French Navy at 6S2. 900
tons, its real strength in effective COM
hat iI1ifS lie
words, the French are counting q lot
OF old worn-out ships of extremely
doubtful combat value.
One Capital Ship in Program.
The French memorandum further
indicates that by 1886. the French Navy
would be increased by only $4,000 tons
notably by one capital ship of $4,000
tons, and three new 8-inch-gun cruisers
The rest Of the French construction
would be wholly in requirements.
It is obvious in these. circumstances
that the main British effort must be to
md way to persuade the French to
reduce, first the submarine; second, the
e1ght-1nch-gun cruiser, and third. the
small cruiser and destroyer totals. One
way would be by Mediterranean pact
and by reinforcement of the Kellogg
treaty. Another way would be through
a direct Franco-British entente of some
KIND. third way would be more
drastic reductions all around, including
the British and the American fleets.
Cost to q. S. $S4S,s14, 900.
The cost to the United States of
naval parity with Great Britain by
1886, as things are now going at the
nve-power conference, and provided the
French figures do not oblige Great
Britain to raise its nura tnr,nann IN,