Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16
F|VE-POWER PACT
HANGS ON MIRACLE
Hoover's Satisfaction Isn't
Shared in London as France
Remains Block.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE,
stan Correspondent OF The Star.

star Correspondent OF The Star.
~ Radio to The Star.
LONDON March 15.-PreSident Hoo
ver's reported satisfaction with the
progress being made at the Naval Con-
ference" isn't shared 100 per cent ir
London, but 1t rests on a substantial
foundation. The conference to date is
not a complete success, but it is fal
removed from total failure. If II
were to adjourn sine die tonight il
would have a record Of immense &C.
complishment to its credit.
Unless Premier Macdonald works q
miracle when Tardieu visits Chequers
today, a five-power treaty practically is
impossible But If nothing can be done
to bring about F'ranco-Italian accord
1t is as practically certain that three
power treaty will enSue. The worlds
mind has only to travel as far back as
the Geneva f1asco of 1927 to measure
the importance of such an achievement.
It will mean that within a span of
three years Great Britain. Japan and
America have so successfully buried
their differences that the mightest set
Of powers are agreed on the ways and
means of ending competition in all
forms Of naval ornaments.
Estimate of Gain Impossible.
It is possible to estimate the money
American, British and Japanese tax
payers will save as a result of this &C
cortland it will be enormous, although
the effects lie in the future rather than
In the immediate present. It is, how
ever, impossible to estimate the I'M
measurable gain which accrues to the
cause Of peace through the decision of
the worlds most powerful naval sta
tons to no longer build against one
another.
Whether France or Italy or both stay
out or come into an Anglo-American-
Japanese limitation pact now or later
on, toward its conclusion, even on tri-
parttte basis. must be set down as an
event OF transcendent international
Importance.
President Hoover is right when he
says 1T denotes that progress" has
been made in London. Premier Mac
donald, acting jointly on his own and
Secretary Stimson's account, will bend
every effort over the week end to make
the French and Italians recognize the
advisability Of joining a f1ve-power
treaty.
Tardieu arrives from Paris tonight
He Is expected to spend several hours
today at Prime Minister Macdonald's
country estate. Meantime, Tardieu
will have had time to consult with
both Erlstide BRAND and Grand
Several days of conference between
BRAND and Grandi, wherein Stimson
brought the Franco-Italian differences
no nearer to conclusion.
Italy Shows Little Enthusiasm.
The italians revealed little enthu-
siasn for the French compromise pro-
posal to give them local parity in
the Mediterranean and other waters
adjoining Italy, but not general parity
such as America and Great Britain are
going to have. Grandi holds fast to
the principle that nothing short of the
right to naval equality with France
can satisfy Italy. Italy doesn't say
she would proceed 10 build up to
French parity-her financial inability
to do so tacitly is admitted. But she
Is determined not to go away from
London labeled for all time as a lower
class naval power than France.
Talk is heard of a mutual Franco
italian non-aggresSive pact whereby the
two countries pledge themselves not to
allow their differences in northern
Africa or other provinces to become
cause OF war. Such a private treaty,
it Is suggested, might induce the
italians to drop or modify their naval
parity demands.
The Star correspondent is revealing
no secret when he discloses that events
in the past eight weeks have been Bit
ter establishment to the British and
American governments. They proved
especially disheartening to Prime Min
lister Macdonald and President Hoover.
Both have been made to realize that
war mentality still is enthroned in
Europe. They have discovered that
the French and italians, despite their
protestations of peace, are governed by
old-tine war psychology with all OF its
fears and suspicious. Two months OF
Anglo american effort IN London to
obliterate those anXieties have come
to naugnt, the consequence of which
Is the emergence here already Of criti-
cisms that London and Washington
failed to make preparation for the
purely political ground over which the
conference would be certain to fight.
Times Charges Neglect.
The London Times makes the I'M
qualified charge that in their zeal TO
explore naval questions the powers re-
sponsible for the conference neglected
to explore the more fundamental politi-
cal questions.
Everybody wonders what the emo
tons Of Ambassador Dawes are on this
score. He publicly berated the authors
at the Geneva Conference for not
studying 1t out more thoroughly in adj
vance. The then Vice President in
particular blamed sailors" for running
the Geneva affair and suggested that
the next conference must be run by
Statesmen"
Although it was the Ambassador
himself who did spadework in Eng
land last June which paved the way
TO the conference, he has been the most
inconspicuous member of the American
delegation to point of total effacement.
II he ever participated in any of the
conferences deliberations, except tc
occupy place in a meaningless plenary
session. the fact has been carefully
withheld from the public'S knowledge.
Secretary Stimson and the other
members Of the American delegation
figure constantly in negotiations with
other powers, but Dawes name has
neither been seen nor heard. He is
the mystery man in the drama now
drawing to a close.
Sunday is destined to go down IN
history Of that drama as the day op
which 1t was decided whether the play
should have happy ending. The one
substantial hope that the curtain viii
be rung down upon a satisfactory finale
remains now the conviction held by
many insiders that Tardieu plans some
eleventh hour gesture which Will take
the French into five-power treaty.
If he does not, France will buy isola-
ton at a price her friends in London
are loath to believe she is ready 0
pay. The French cannot possibly OBJ
tam the kind of security guarantees
they crave, but something will be Offered
Tardieu at Chequers which Britain anc
America think France could and shoulS
accept.
MIIPnEP TRIAL 0PnERE0-