Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-09
OPTIMISM RULES FARLEY,
DESPITE DIFFICULT TASK
Ceremony and Exploration Over, Con
ference Enters Third Phase With
Hard Work i'm Prospect.

The fourth point. the question of
Anglo American parity, is in itself far
/ less troublesome Nothing has happened
since the American delegation reached
London to suggest that Macdonald or
the British government is not prepared
! to carry out the tentative agreement
made by the President and the prime
minister last Autumn. And in the face
of this truth there is eally no Auglo-
American problem whaUGver. Such diff
| flculty as exists grows out of the OBJ
vious British need to adjust their
/ strength to the tonnage demands of the
European and ASiatic nations. Thus, in
effect, Americans and British can only
reach tentative decisions while the
strength of the other nations remains
undetermined.
The last point is relatively minor 1t
is presented by the need of establish
ing relations between the League of Ma
tions Disarmament Conference and the
London naval meeting. The French
have insisted that the latter is no more
than a preliminary, subordinate to the
former But if anything is accom-
plished here, do not think there will
be much difficulty in finding formula.
If there we're a disposition to be cap
tious, it might be hard. But no such
disposition is now discoverable.
Tension Is Lessened.
Looking back over the agenda which
I have just outlined, it is clear that
only the first three points can be held
as offering serious difficulties. But
these difficulties are. on the whole, rem
dered less difficult by the obvious fact
that as the conference progresses the
general atmosphere grows less and less
tense. Between the British and the
Americans there is no difference; be-
tween the French and the British there
has been steady improvement. Every
one recognizes the reality of the prob
lens of Grandi and WakatSuki, and the
search for solutions already must give
the Japanese and Italian statesmen
proof of this fact.
To state a personal view, find the
atmosphere and temper of the confer
ence, having regard for the several ma
tional interests involved, far more
friendly and favorable than I had
thought possible before came here
And do not believe there is any real
chance that the conference will break
up in row, or even come to such an
abrupt and complete deadlock as did
the Washington affair. On the other
hand. because the negotiations are nee
eSsarily secret and the issues delicate,
there Is bound to be great flood of
rumors and reports Of crises and not
some fairly tense moments.
Yet it is true at present that the at
moSphere is one Of complete optimism
and mutual confidence, so far as the
delegates are concerned. This is shown
clearly in the growing belief that the
conference VIII not last longer than two
Against this feeling of optimism, how
ever, must be set the equally plain fact
that part of the promise of success re-
suits from the very marked reduction in
the size of the undertaking. OF dis
armament there will be nothing; of
REDUCTION, outside of the postponement
of replacement of battleships, nothing,
save, perhaps, that the British may get
rid OF a few very small obsolete cruisers:
of limitation, there will be no more
than a or 6 year adjustment.
Parity Issue Settlement Seen,
But unless every sign fails we are
going to get settlement of the issue
of parity as between the two English
speaking nations. The longer I stay in
this country the more convinced I am
that the mass of the people Of the
country-allowance being made for a
very few diehard groups-are sincerely
anxious to get the whole dispute out
of the way and are prepared to recog-
nize the American right to an equal
fleet In this respect, Macdonald Ger
tainly has the majority of his country
behind him.
In this case am sure there will be
no repetition of the failure at Geneva,
as there is today no parallel to the at
mosphere of suspicion which contrib
uted so much to the disaster Of 1927
And even If no other result were pos
Sible here which uyouId he utterly I'm
likely, it seems not beyond the limits
of the possible that this issue of parity
might be settled, always, of course,
without the smallest thought Of any
political compact.
(Cnnyri1hf fa2n