Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-30

here of representatives Of all the do
minions.
The committee members now actually
will be named by heads of the delega-
tons and operate through them with
the unanimous agreement necessary for
any conference action.
Secretary of the Navy Adams and
Ambassador Gibson were designated
as the American members.
After the plenary session adjourned,
sine die, Premier Macdonald expressed
the view that the conference now was
in measurable distance of a solution to
the old problem of global or total tom
mage limitation of war craft versus
stricter limitation by categories.
Private Talks Resumed.
Private conferences were resumed as
soon as the session ended. One of the
most conspicuous was between Premier
'Tardieu and Col. Stimson, at which M.
Tardieu further expanded the French
compromise plan. Col. Stimson and
Reijiro WakatSuki, head of the japanese
delegation, also had a short talk.
Col. StimSon's resolution said
Resolved. That the questions of
method and procedure included under
the heading and title OF general ques-
tionS in the agenda now under discus
sion by the chiefs of the delegations,
and including particularly the sugges-
ton of the French and British govern
ments as to limitation by global ton
mage or by categories, and including the
method and procedure suggested by the
French government, be referred to
committee appointed by the delegations
represented in the conference with di-
Fections to examine carefully possibilities
and probable effects of such methods
with respect to the fleets of said re-
spective nations and 20 report their
views to the conference through the
chiefs of their respective delegations"
AS the meeting convened the secre-
ence agenda, with the subjects arranged
alphabetically in the order of the dele
cations proposing them.
Proposals listed on the agenda were:
France-(D The system of global
tonnage; the French delegations trans
actional proposal. ca What classical
ton is to be adopted? CD Transfer,
the amount and conditions thereof.
Great Britain-(D The system of
naval limitation by categories.
Italy-(D Determination OF ratios.
ca Determination of levels of total ton
nages of the several countries.
Mr.. Macdonald, in opening the seS-
sion, said the results of conversations
between the delegations had been most
gratifying, "up till now"
Reason for Meeting.
In low but resonant tone he then
outlined the reason for the meeting and
pointed out that the questions to be
treated had been arranged in order Of
alphabetical precedence of the names
of the delegations.
Recalling that the conference was q
conference of five powers, he said it
was only natural there should be diff
hculties which had to be overcome, some
of them exceedingly intricate. He said
1t was quite impossible to deal with
them in open conference and that the
various delegations had to exchange
views in order to remove misunder-
standings land to pave the way for
compromise and agreement"
Mr.. Macdonald stressed the fact that
the heads Of the delegations had been
meeting every day. He said he wished
to state before dealing with the pro-
posed appointment of a steering COM
mittee that Italy regarded the two
termination OF ratios and Of levels Of
total tonnagesl as being clearly con-
cerned with principles rather than with
methods of limitation.
Mr.. Macdonald added that Dino
Grand, Italian delegation head, wished
TO make his position clear so there
would be no misunderstanding either
here or in Italy. AS chairman he then
called on Signor Grandi, who, in be-
binning, commented that It was evident
that six points contained in the agenda
raised problems that could not all be
placed on the same plane.
The French points and the British
one deal practically all with the same
problem" he said, that of determining
whether the limitation of naval arma-
ments should be based on a system Of
global tonnage or on that of limitation
by categorles, or an intermediate sys-
tenn, such as that suggested by the So
called French transitional proposal.
Question Of Principle.
''These are all questions of method.
On the other hand, the two points
submitted by the Italian delegation raise
. question Of principle, namely, determi-
nation Of ratios of strength between
navles; and question OF fact, namely,
the determination of maximum levels Of
total tonnages for the five powers.
In placing these two points on the
egenda the Italian delegation had
means to ask that the conference should
determine the general principles and
the political criteria of disarmament,
i consider that these two points must
be solved in view also of practical con-
slderations. Problems of methods and
special technical questions may, indeed,
present different aspects and assume
varying degrees for country according
IN the different Invale af uy1inI, %1foI