Evening star., 1932-10-14
Italy Accepts AngIo-French
Plan, but Germany Objects
to Meeting at Geneva.
DISADVANTAGE FEARED
IN SEAT OF CONFERENCE
Norman Davis May Be Called Upon
to Use U. s. Offices in Deal.
ing With Berlin.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, October 14.-Great Britain
and France have agreed to hold four
power emergency disarmament confer
ence at Geneva, it was announced to-
day at the conclusion of a conference
between Prime Minister Macdonald
and Premier Herriot
Italy already has accepted an inu-
tation to participate, but thus far Ger
many has not agreed to holding the
meeting at Geneva.
Germany's attitude indicates another
deadlock, but her objections were de-
scribed at No. 10 Downing street as
temporary
Will Deal With Equality.
This special conference would deal
with Germany's demand for arms
equality and would attempt to get her
back into the world Disarmament Con-
ference. from which she retired when
the other powers declined 70 concede
her equality claim.
When the British government first
suggested a four-power meeting several
weeks ago Germany accepted London
as place for the conference. The
task now facing the other powers Is
to get Germany to come to the parley
at Geneva.
The proposed meeting will have an
unofficial and preliminary character"
the announcement said, but upon its
outcome would depend the fate of the
World Disarmament Conference.
1t was thought possible that in at
tempting to overcome Germany's objec-
tions to the place of meeting. the pow
ers might invoke the good Offices OF the
United States through Norman Davis,
the American disarmament representa-
tive. 1t has been understood ali along
that Mr.. Davis played an important
part in bringing M. Herriot and Mr..
Macdonald together for the meeting
here.
Herriot Appears Pleased.
The French premier appeared pleased
as he left No. 10 Downing street.
Everything is fine" he said, Il found
it easy to reach an agreement with my
British friends. The conference will
be held at Geneva within the framework
OF the League of Nations and the nego-
tiations will be preliminary in character
Germany's refusal appears to be on the
question OF form, but the German atti-
tude is not clear at the moment"
The premier left at 4 o'clock on his
return journey to Paris.
The interest with which Geneva
awaits the results of the London con-
ference was indicated yesterday. when
Arthur Henderson, president of the Dis
armament Conference, which has been
adjourned since last July, announced
that Geneva was waiting on London
and he hoped the Herriot Macdonald
parleys would be sufficiently successful
so that the Arms Conference might be-
gin work again next month.
He announced that the Conference
Bureau would be reassembled November
and he hoped the General Committee
could meet November 81.
Hoover Plan Comes Up.
One Of the principal matters to come
before the Geneva conference when it
reassembles is President Hoover's pro-
posal for q fiat one-third reduction Of
armaments. When the conference ad-
journed in July, it was unable to agree
upon the American proposals.
The Conference Bureau finally decid-
ed to ask Sir John Simon, British for
eign secretary. to draft an adjournment
declaration along these lines:
l. Tribute to the Hoover proposal as
valuable contribution.
2. Recognition that parts Of the plan
dealing with electives and naval forces
required considerable time for study
3. An announcement of sundry points
on which the conference was virtually
agreed.
The conference finally adjourned on
July % with a promise that an agree
ment for substantial reductions would
be made after it met again.
Last August, soon after the presenta-
ton of the German demand for equal
ity, Italy threatened to bolt the League
disarmament efforts, charging that the
United States. England and France had
formed a triumvirate to rule the con-
(ContinlIed on Page 2. Column 81