Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-30
u. S. AND BRITAIN
ACT TO GET FRANCE
INTO NAVAL TREATY


Continued From First Pagel
which has been granted her IN Lonoon
and which provides that any time Ihe
two Mediterranean nations maw 20
the british navy Great Britain Will De
free to build more ships to offset that
Pren,ier Laval was not against the
idea of France entering effectively IN
the London naval pact, but reserved ms
answer.
Want Ratio Maintained.
We said ne would have to consult his
naval experts in Paris before giving
anal answer The naval experts nave
no real objection to France entering the
naval pact provided that the principle
Of the ratio to 4 regarding France
and italy Is maintained. Roughly
speaking. that means that for the $780,
900 tons Of new ships the French navy
will have at the end Of 1886 Italy snoulo
have no more than 100000 tons.
The naval experts in Paris maintain
THAT from their naval point OF view
France can no more accept parity with
italy than the United States can AFFORD
parity with Japan. This is the situa-
ton at the present moment. the BTU
confronted with the following problem.
Neither of the two actually believes that
the French arguments are really sound
We think of the naval question In terms
: of peace and consider the war problem
only rs a very remote improbable Qties-
ton; the French think purely from the
angle of a possibility OF an armed con-
fiict General STATS must thing that
way.
The italians, in turn. are anxious to
reduce armament expenditure, but Mus
solini has spoken so much about parity
with France and nothing else that he
can not afford to accept any other Solu-
ton without a good deal Of loss OF his
personal prestige.
French Cooperation Needed.
Although the British and the Amer
lean governments are not in sympathy
with the French understanding of the
naval question, 1t appears necessary, II
we want to make the London naval pact
an accomplished fact, to get France in
at almost any price.
The American Government Is not
much interested in what actual tonnage
the French have; whether it is flve or
six hundred thousand tons, is a matter
of complete indifference to us; our sole
interest lies in the fact that the French
should put in the blank columns of the
treaty q tonnage that would be salts
factory to the other signatories and
especially to Britain ana Italy. The
British have heretofore objected to the
French $4,000 tons figure because the
Italians, demanding parity. would have
insisted on the same figure in their
blank column, thus endangering the
British twc-power standard,
II appears. however. that now the
British no longer object 70 the French
figure. realizing that they cannot pre-
vent the French from building what
they want, The negotiations which are
going on now contemplate accepting
the French actual tonnage as provided
in their "Statut Naval naval pre-
gram which would give France a little
over coo. 600 tons at the end of 1896.
II final agreement can be reached.
France would become an active partner
in the London naval treaty and Italy
would remain outside.
1t is hoped that Foreign Secretary
Grandis visit here would settle the
Italian case, that Italy will be willing
TO Join ii with the other powers
putting down a certain tonnage which
she contemplstes BUILDING The French
might be given a privilege similar to
the British that is to say. that they
might be permitted 10 nave an "eSca-
lator clause" which would I be made Il
play the moment 1lSN SNCeSCS N laCl
and not on paper the Ga ratio.
Accepts Arms Holiday Plan.
The United States Government YES
terday accepted the proposal for 8 one
year arms holiday.
The answer was dispatched today Ia
Geneva, II expresses the American
Governments delight at the step taker
Dy the European powers and agree &c
the holiday on the following terms
The United States Government /.
willing to cease building any new war.
ships as from November /. 1891. This
construction Of requirements of obsolete
naval craft is not affected by America :.
acceptance of the holiday, neither vii
the ships actually under construction
be included IN this new moratorium.
Tire construction of ships actually or
the slips viii be continued. This vii
avoid any interference with the build
Ing of the five new destroyeFs and viii
the moderniSation Of the three battle
ships, the Idaho the Mississippi anS
the New Mexico for which Congress ha.
appropriated $50 900 900.
Grand Started Idea.
The idea Of q temporary arms holida,
not exceeding - naonths as 3 prepare
tinn OF public opifison for general dis
ornament and preceding the Februar,
:. seneral disarmament conference va