Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-12
DRAFT Is BEING PREPARED.
May Be Submitted to Five Naval Dele
cations Tonight.

cations Tonight.
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 12.-The first draft
Of the London naval agreement was
being prepared today with a view to its
submission to the i've delegations before
midnight.
Progress was made by the drafting
and expert committees this morning
and it was indicated at st. James
Palace that 1t would be possible to
conclude q rough draft for considera-
ton by the various delegates over the
week end.
Several points of difference are yet to
be cleared up, including the so-called
safeguarding clauses to protect the
navies limited under the treaty in the
event that neighboring nations whose
navies are unlimited should begin what
might be regarded as excessive building.
Approval Is Forecast.
While only the experts reports, not
yet approved by the conference, are
being used as basis for the pact, there
is no doubt on the part Of the drafting
committee that these reports will be ap-
proved at Mondays session and the
work can proceed over the week end in
the assumption that 1t will be approved
by the plenary session Monday. Dwight
w. Morrow is serving as chairman Of
the drafting committee.
Interest was conferred primarily today
on completing the treaty draft for sigma
ture next Thursday and in departure
for home.
In not one of the other four delega-
tons was the spirit of home going so
marked as with the Americans, who are
intent upon catching the Leviathan at
Southampton April %. The line has
offered to hold the vessel "a hours; Sec
rotary Stimson has asked for a 48-hour
extension.
Wishing to SAIL on a liner of the
United States Lines the Americans must
either catch this boat or wait week
for the George Washington.
Reservations Sought.
The section of the treaty, however,
dealing with all five powers represented
at the conference may be made diff
cult. Although involving much less than
the three-power limitation agreement,
the conflicting national viewpoints OF
Italy and France were expected gener-
ally to clash somewhat, possibly causing
some delay. Both nations were reported
today to be seeking certain reservations
hitherto unconsidered.
According to those close to the French
delegation, Aristide BRAND, French for
eign minister, in signing that part of the
treaty relative to a battleship holiday
will reserve the right to build 10000
tons Of capital ships which were granted
France under the Washington treaty
and which thus far have not been built.
Italy was said to wish to make
similar reservation with regard to IS, 600
tons of capital ships, thus continuing
the demand for parity with France.
Some naval experts In commenting on
these projected reservations said that
since the war Italy has built ship for
ship with France, and that there was
no certainty she eventually would not
build up to equality with her northern
neighbor.
Plenary Session Monday.
Col. Stimson and Prime Minister
Macdonald, greatly fatigued with the
long grind which the partial success
as it is generally regarded-of the con-
ference necessitated, probably will rest
drafting to subor dinates.
Monday the conference will meet in
plenary session, receive the reports of
the committee and prepare the way
for the final plenary session and sign
ing Of the treaty Thursday. Mondays
session probably will be brief and with
few speeches. It will be held at 1890
pm, which, with British Summer time
becoming effective tomorrow, is $3.50
am. Eastern standard time.
The speeches and statements OF ma
tional positions probably will come
Thursday in connection with the for
mality Of signing the treaty and Just
prior to the dash for boats. It was be-
lieved these speeches would be toned
down and would contain little which
might embitter feeling between the
non-agreeing nations.
Attitude of today's press was one OF
cheerfully accepting what had been
hoped would be more, and Of welcome
for the substantial gains toward naval
disarmament.
The Times said: Though oppressed,
as were the delegates to the Washing
ton Conference, by a sense OF partial
failure, the London delegates have every
reason to be satisfied with what actual
ly was accomplished"
The Herald, Labor organ, said: ut
would be folly to overvalue the gains.
The conference neither achieved dis
armament nor assured peace and the
peoples looked to their statesmen for
far more"