Evening star., 1930-04-02
SECURITY FORMULA
FOR FRANCE BEING
WEIGHED IN PARLEY
Agreement Will Remove Sec
ond of Major Problems Be-
fore Naval Conference.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated RTeSS.
LONDON, April 2-It was author
itatively stated this afternoon that
the plenary session of the Naval
Conference, which was to have been
held Friday, has been postponed
until next week. The reason was not
stated.
LONDON, April C49.-Secretary
Stimson, Prime Minister Macdonald
and Reijiro Wakatsuki met this
afternoon, and it was understood
that the chief japanese delegate de-
livered the japanese reply to the
American and British proposals.
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, April "A formula open
ing the way for Franco-British agree
ment on French demands for additional
security and British hopes Of reduced
French naval tonnage was under consid-
Grafton today by the Five-Power Naval
Conference.
If agreement should eventuate, the
second of the three principal barriers
to a five-power limitation treaty will
have been removed, leaving onl. one,
the Italian demand to n-val parity with
France. japanese acceptance OF the
Reed Matsudaira compromise schedule
covering the Japanese-Amerlcan reia-
tionsnip removes the first.
Although apparently regarded favor
ably by the delegations themselves, there
was question as to what viewpoint Brit
.sh opposition would take to the formula,
which it was understood France accepts
as making more definite British mill
tary commitments under the League OF
Nations covenant.
United States to Consider Pact.
Conference observers believe that the
American delegation would be called
upon, in line with its recent offer, to
consider with an open mind" proposals
to enter a pact to consult with the other
signatory nations in the event of a
threat of war Discussion of this phase
revived perceptibly today after languish-
ing during the week end pessimism.
As understood here the Franco British
accord is being approached through defl-
milton of article 16 of the covenant
of the League of Nations in the light OF
annex F" of the Locarno treaties. This
annex. a letter to Germany by Great
Britain, France. Italy, Czechoslovakia,
Poland and Belgium, interpreting the
article, said:
"The German delegation has request
ed certain explanations with regard to
article 16 of the covenant of the
League of Nations. We are not in a
position to speak the name of the
League, but in view of the discussion
which already has taken place in the
assembly and in the commission of the
League of Nations and after explana-
tions which have been exchanged be-
tween ourselves we do not hesitate to
inform you of the Interpretation which
as far as we are concerned we place
on article is.
Britain TO Retain Veto.
"In accordance with that interpre-
tation obligations resulting from the
said article on members of the League
must be understood to mean that each
state member of the League Is bound
TO cooperate Loyalty and effectively in
support of the covenant and in resist
ance to any act of aggression to an
extent that is compatible with its mill
tary situation and takes its geographical
position into account"
In addition there is involved recog-
milton by Great Britain of obligation
to participate in any League action in
which the decision of the council is
unanimous. Great Britain, always
sitting on the council, apparently would
retain veto power.