Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-06
CONFERENCE HALTS
AS BRAND MEETS
TARD|EU ON TREATY
Short Reprieve Will Put Par
ley Into Twelfth Week
of Negotiations.
AMERICANS CONCENTRATE
ON HOMECOMING PLANS
Delegation Well Pleased by Pros
poets for Three-Power Arms
Agreement.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 5.-The London
Naval Conference is being kept alive
by week end reprieve which will carry
negotiations over into the twelfth week.
Aristide BRAND, the French foreign
minister around whom centers efforts
to produce five-power disarmament
agreement, today left for Paris to con-
fer with his chief, Premier Tardieu
Prime Minister Macdonald of Great
Britain babe NJ BRAND goodbye, then
rushed of to American headquarters
for lunch with Secretary Stimson and
Ambassador Morrow to acquaint them
with the latest developments in the
hunt for security formula which will
satisfy French claims.
BRAND will be back In time to con-
tinue negotiations Tuesday. His present
cross-channel mission is considered by
conference observers to be the last for
the purposes of the present negotiations.
Americans Give Up.
The chase for the elusive phrases
which would satisfy French fears OF
national security without increasing
Great Britain'S risk Of war in CONT
mental Europe has not been called Oh,
but the leading huntsmen, Macdonald
and BRAND, are becoming winded. The
Americans already have given up their
part of the quest and are concentrating
on preparations for sailing on the
Leviathan April %.
Whatever the outcome of the last
heroic efforts for a flve-power pact at
London, Col. Stimson and his colleagues
are eminently satisfied with the past
week of work, which will record for the
cause of disarmament comprehensive
three-power agreement among the
United States, Great Britain and Japan.
The full import of the agreement
reached by Ex-Premier Wakatsuki Of
Japan, Mr.. Macdonald and Col. Slim
son on the basis of the ed-Matsudaira
negotiations here is not likely to be
realized until the fog of European po-
litical problems has been cleared away
from the conference.
Settled for Five Years.
In all classes of warships the three
great sea powers of the world have set
tied their construction problems for five
years, arriving at an understanding
they failed to attain at the Geneva
arms harley three years ago.
The Franco-Italian dispute primarily
affects the Mediterranean, and the
other delegates will be able to 90 home
toward the end of this month feeling
that naval rivalry has been checked in
all seas except the blue waters that
separate France and Italy from their
African colonial empires.
While the conference is again inter-
rupted for few days, British opinion
is visibly stiffening against any form of
new commitments in Europe, even in
the vague terms, to satisfy Frances de-
sire for increased security.
The House of Commons, which has
been extremely patient throughout the
conference in accepting sparse and
n1eager official announcements from
the government about the conference,
is now insisting on receiving definite
information about the full situation.
Nine questions will be shot at Prime
Minister Macdonald about the con-
ference in the House on Monday, all of
them bearing on the political aspects,
particularly about the discussions be-
tween the prime minister and M.
BRAND with reference to the interpre-
tation of Article XVI Of the League of
Nations covenant.
House Members Uneasy.
Realizing that these security talks, If
materialized, would have far-reaching
effects on the other units Of the British
Empire, CIle members OF Tie HOUSE are
becoming more and more uneasy lest
the government become committed to
new obligations in Europe.
Particularly was this evident when
the annexes of the Locarno pact came
within the scope of the security formula
discussions. The dominions have not
ratified the pact, and therefore any
Interpretation of Hits annexes would
leave them unaffected in practice, and
probably antagonistic in theory.
The London Sunday newspapers re-
flect the fading hopes Of the conference
as flve-power affair.
The Sunday Observer declares that
three-power pact insures "a solid
triumph" and that the intricate nego-
tiations for a f1ve-power pact can be
abandoned at any moment without
cause for fears. The Sunday Times
editorially says that in the present cir
cumstances the continuance of the
conference. is undesirable and suggests
a six months adjournment so that
present apprehensions may be lessened
and the great problems of disarma-
ment tackled with surer prospect of
success.