Evening star., 1930-06-04
Mussolini's Naval Offer.

While naval irreconcilableS in the
United States Senate are engaged In
their favorite pastime of snag-strewing
and at the same moment the House OF
Commons was refusing to impede Brit
4sh ratification of the London treaty,
italy has made a significant proposal
to France. Signor Grandi, foreign min
lister and chief Italian delegate at the
Five-Power Conference, announced at
Rome yesterday that his government is
ready to suspend naval construction
planned for 1880 If France is willing to
follow suit. italy recently promulgated
o 42.00o-ton building scheme for this
year, which roundly matches French
projects for the same period.
Addressing the Roman Senate, Signor
Grandi declared that the Mussolini
naval formula comprises two funda-
mental Observation-Disclosures and re-
duction." 1t is in pursuit thereof that
the Italians now come forward with
an offer, which Is an effort to carry
on where matters left of at London,
The offer, too. Signor Grandi discloses,
Is the result of unsuccessful attempts
by Italy at Geneva last month to bring
about a special Franco Italian meeting
70 discuss the question of naval parity.
France demurred, insisting that the
issue should be thrashed out through
regular channels by Ambassadors.
Beyond a doubt, unless there Is
catch In it not yet apparent from this
long range, Mussolini has put over
Diplomatic fast one in M. Tardieus
direction. It places France on the horns
Of an immediate dilemma, because the
proposition implies, on its face, the
right Of Italy to parity with the French
Aeet. To date, France has resolutely
rejected that pretension. The Musso-
Nni offer, too, is undeniably designed
70 sustain the theory that Italys naval
pians are non-provocative In nature.
eignor Grand points out that the pro-
posal means more for Italy than it does
for France, because the italian Navy
a % much inferior to the French at
this time.
Some eighteen or twenty years ago,
when Europe saw the World War re-
rnorselessly coming on, owing to Anglo
German naval and commercial rivalry,
among other causes, Great Britain made
her famous naval holiday" proposal to
Germany. Both countries, it was sug-
Rested, should down tools in their
warship yards for one year, in the
hope Of relieving international tension
and their respective taxpayers. 1t was
the time, when Admiral Won Ttrpitz
and the German war party were in the
ascendant at Berlin, and Germany's
answer to Britain was q stentorian
moi" Armageddon ensued In due
course-the explosion" which Prince
Won Buelow once predicted was sure to
follow pressure and counter-pressure"
rs between Germany and Britain.
It Is highly probable that, when
France Is ready to take notice Of the
italian offer, M. Tardieu viii plead
that the French are merely engaged in
the execution Of their "statut naval"
OG navy 13". 4hdb IA" Was AaAo oo"A
in 1924 and provides for systematic
expansion of the French feet over a
period ending In 1943. France may
say that Mussolini's holiday" scheme
cannot be entertained because it would
interfere with her building program,
which is fixed by law.
If that is the position the French
assume and maintain, they will run
the risk Of shifting from Italys shoul-
ders the blame for European naval COM
petition and all the dread possibilities
which lie therein.