Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
HOOVER CREDITS
GIBSON FOR TREATY
Lauds Henderson, BRAND and
Grandi, but Cites Enjoys
Early Work.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

Ia WINS AM AAANL AShO"ANf
President Hoover and Secretary Of
State Henry L. Stimson have ex-
pressed their satisfaction that the
Franco-Italian naval dispute has been
happily ended.
President Hoover. while praising the
statesman-like qualities of Foreign Sec
retaries Arthur Henderson, Aristide
BRAND and Dino Grandi for their sue
cessful activities in the last phase of
the negotiations, acknowledged 1.-THE
impetus given the settlement by the
suggestions of Ambassador Gibson con-
veyed in Paris and Rome last No
vember."
American diplomacy can boast of
having initiated and indirectly brought
to a happy conclusion one of the most
difficult international conflicts. When
Hugh S. Gibson, Ambassador to Bel
GUM, left for Geneva last October the
political horizon in Europe was over
cast. The French and Italian dele
gates had met twice during the Sum-
mer and early Fall, but the result Of
their meetings was negative.
SUGGESTIONS advanced.
The French were standing pat on
their claim to have naval superiority
of 100000 tons over the Italian Navy,
while the Italians maintained that dur
ing the Washington Conference in 1921
they had obtained the right to parity
With France and announced that they
had decided to build ship for ship and
gun for gun for what France was build
ing. The British endeavored to inter-
vene, but they were looked upon with
suspicion by both the French and the
Italians.
Mr.. Gibson was instructed then tc go
to Rome and Paris and see whether
something could be done to solve this
deadlock which was threatening the
peace of Europe. While in those cap
italS he was instructed by Mr.. Stimson
to put forward to the French and Ital-
ian governments certain suggestions
! which today form the basis of the
Franco Italian agreement.
Consequent with the traditional
! American policy of lot getting entan-
| gled in dispute which did not directly
concern the United States, the Ameri-
| can Ambassador let the experts of the
two rival countries discuss his proposal
| by themselves. When it became evident
that they could not come to an agree
ment because neither party would yield,
l Ah4A' AASAANACASOAA ANCAACAs
Race Affected Britain.
1t vas easier for the British diplo-
mats to make this dispute their own,
because the FTanco-Italian naval race
affected Great Britain directly. Taking
as a basis the American suggestion
transmitted to Rome and Paris through
Mr.. Gibson, the British reached q sep
arate agreement with France and Italy
concerning naval buildings until 1886.
| This was followed by an agreement be-
| tween France and Italy which solves
| the entire naval problem of the five
leading naval powers until 1886, when
the London naval treaty ends.
| During the delicate and difficult
negotiations of the last three weeks
| the American State Department care
fully RETAINED from making the slightest
\ suggestion. either in Rome or in Paris.
1t left a clear field to the British, since
| 1t was considered in official quarters here
! that any American Intervention might
: jeopardiZe Britain's diplomatic activities.
| American Ambassadors abroad, how
ever, kept the State Department fully
| informed as to what was going on in
Paris and Rome.
Apprehension Felt Here.
A certain apprehension was felt here
that the British in their desire to solve
| the Franco-Italian rivalry might make
certain concessions which would not be
| acceptable to this country at the present
] moment. This was especially true in
| regard to battleships. During the
London Naval Conference it was evil
| dent that the French and the Italians
were favoring a type of capital ships
| not exceeding 1000 tons. Such ship
was declared by our experts to be COM
pletely useless to this country, which
| needs ships with large cruising radius.
Although this matter has been def
| nitely settled in London until the next
| naval conference in 1886, it was feared
in official quarters here that the British
might have pledged themselves to re-
open this question at the General Dis
armament Conference in 1892. Had
this been the case, the administration
would have been placed in difficult
position and new meeting of the
powers which have signed the London
naval treaty might have been necessary.
The latest dispatches from London
indicate, however, that such danger,
which may have been imminent some
time during last weeks negotiations,
has completely disappeared and that
the Franco-Italian naval agreement, so
far as America Is concerned, calls for
no revision whatsoever of the London
naval treaty.
(Copyright, 1879