Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-23
FRANCE MAY Join
NAVAL LIMITATION
TREATY OF LONDON
Progress of British Negotia-
tons in Paris Raises Hope
of Such Action.
ADVANCE TOWARD DEAL
WITH ROME REPORTED
Revival of Talk of Consultative
Pact Believed Move to Expe-
dite Agreement.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

That France may join the London
naval treaty within a reasonably short
time was indicated in dispatches re-
ceived during the week end in Wash
ington. Reports from Paris and London
state that the Anglo-French converse
tions for the settlement Of the Franco.
italian naval dispute had made salts
factory progress.
State Department and embassy
officials are conservatively optimistic
They hope that the tentative agreement
reached between Robert L. Craigie
representative OF Prime Minister Ram
say Macdonald, and Rene E. MaSsigli
representative of the French govern
ment, will prove satisfactory to the
British admiralty and acceptable to the
Italian government.
The agreement is reported TO be al
follows: France ceases to build 10000
ton cruisers and submarines until 1886
limiting her construction Of such vessels
to requirements: it limits the construc-
ton Of light cruisers and destroyer:
only, and proceeds 10 the laying down
of at least two but probably three
%, 000-ton battleships, as authorized BY
the Washington naval treaty of 1922
This tentative agreement Is acceptable
to the British government.
Program Worried British.
MIR. Macdonald was greatly worried
over the original French naval program
which included the construction OF nine
lO, 900 ton cruisers and some 90, 600 tons
of submarines. The building of the
French cruiser program, II followed by
Italy, would have endangered Great
Britain'S "two-poTer standard" which
requires that Great Britain should have
a numerical superiority over the princi-
pal European naval powers.
To this Mr.. Macdonald had pledged
himself to the British admiralty before
the London Naval Conference. He hac
promised the British admiralty aftel
his return from Washington in No.
vember, 1929, that he would insist or
Great Britain maintaining her "two.
power standard" and only after he hae
given such a pledge did the admiralty
agree to complete parity with thu
United States.
On the other hand, construction o.
a large feet of submarines was con-
sidered by the British naval and mill
tary experts serious menace to Great
Britain's lines of communications aI1C
food supplies. For this reason thu
British desired the French to reducs
their submarine program by at least
10000 tons.
Concessions Obtained.
These two concessions have now beer
obtained from the French by Mr.
Craigie, but it appears that the idea
of the French having two or three new
battleships of the most modern type Is
unpalatable to the British admiralty
Mr.. Craigie was asked to return to Lon
don and discuss the matter with the
admiralty naval experts.
It is believed here that the objections
of the British admirals to the French
battleshipS will be overruled, because
the French have the right to build such
ships in accordance with the Wash
ington treaty. and it is only on &C
count Of financial difficulties that they
have not done this.
Should the British admiralty accep
the tentative agreement reached II
Paris, the next move will have to bc
made in Rome. The French promise OF
not building more large cruisers anC
submarines will certainly be welcomed
there, but it is doubtful as to how thu
Italians will take the French decision
to start building battleships.
Italy Wants Holiday.
In accordance with the Washington
Treaty the Italians are allowed to builc
the same number of capital ships
These ships, however, cost about SEA-
600 900 each and 1t appears that 1taly''
financial situation does not permit Il
TO start such an expensive naval pro-
gram. Furthermore the upkeep Of Thu
type OF warship Is very costly. Fol
this reason the italian government ha!
indicated the desire of having com
plete naval holiday until 1896.
This italian view is shared, accord
ing to reliable information, by the British
Continued on Page 2, Column 81