Evening star., 1932-07-12
Principles of Proposal Will
Be Embodied in Draft of
General Resolution.
SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION
is PLEDGED BY NATIONS
Powers Won't Commit Themselves
on One. Third Cut, as Carried
in American Scheme.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

GENEVA, July 12.-An unexpected
success for the Hoover disarmament
proposals can now be confidently pre-
dicted here. Not only have they formed
the basis Of discussion for the general
resolution now under negotiation, but
nearly all the principles put forward by
President Hoover will be embodied In
the resolution.
Nobody experienced in diplomacy had
expected 100 per cent success Tor the
American plan. What apparently Is
remarkable is that this plan, which at
first encountered strong though some
what yelled opposition from Great Brit
ain, France and Japan. is now viewed
in a much more sympathetic light. Even
those points on which the United States
is not yet receiving satisfaction are not
thus far rejected. but are being held in
abeyance for further negotiations.
Credit for this result is doubtless
largely due to the merits OF the Amer
ican proposals themselves. but partly
also to the indefatigable efforts OF the
American delegation in Geneva.
Principles of Hoover Plan.
The principles on which the Hoover
plan was constructed were the kelloeg
anti-war pact, the idea OF increasing the
power of defense by decreasing the
power of attack, the interrelation Of air,
sea and land armaments. the idea OF a
real reduction capable of effecting eco
nomic relief and amounting in general
to about one-third. and the idea OF d.
viding land armies into police COM
ponent and a defense component ana
reducing the defense component by one
third, while leaving the police compo-
nent untouched.
All these principles, this correspond
ent is able to reveal today. have been
accepted and will be stated in the reso-
luton, except that the nations. instead
of committing themselves Immediately
on one-third reduction, will be pledged
merely to substantial reduction"
Comparing now in detail the Hoover
proposals with the draft resolution, the
situation appears to be as follows:
President Hoover proposed to abolish
chemical warfare, tanks and large mo-
bile guns; the resolution agrees to abol-
ish chemical warfare, large mobile guns
and large tanks, but leaves the maxi
mum gun calibre and maximum weight
CT tanks to be determined in future
talks.
President Hoover proposed to abolish
bombing planes and to prohlblt all
bombar dments from the air; the reso-
luton agrees to abolish bombing planes
over a certain tonnage to be determined
and to prohibit all bombing from the
air except over certain areas to be de-
fined later President Hoover proposed
to reduce the number of battleships by
one-third. airplane carriers and cruisers
and destroyers by one-fourth and sub
marines by one-third with no nation to
have more than $4,000 tons Of sub
marines. The basis of reduction was to
be the Washington and London naval
treaties and the abortive Franco-Italian
naval agreement Of March. 1881.
Great Britain apparently agrees to
one-third reduction, but wishes to ef-
feet it by having smaller ships instead
of fewer ships.
Private Negotiation.
Japan seems to agree with Great Brit
ain. Also, France is not yet willing TO
take the abortive Franco-Italian agree
ment as a basis.
In these conditions the whole naval
question is being referred to the reSpec-
tive governments for private negotiation
among themselves in the next few
months.
The American delegation seems conf
dent that these negotiations will bring
a compromise of some sort. 1t is still
fighting for fixing a maximum figure
on big guns, tanks and planes imme-
diately and for the complete prohibi-
ton of bombing without reservation of
certain areas.
To obtain the foregoing results, the
only important concessions the Ameri-
can delegation seems to have made are
acceptance of the idea of a permanent
commission of control, largely limited
to the exchange of information, and of
an agreement to continue discussions on
budgetary limitations.
The future procedure of the confer
ence will be as follows:
Litter few days more Of private
talks, the draft resolution will be sub
mitted to the general commission for
debate and adoption. and then to the
whole conference. The Executive Com
mittee will continue in session.
The work of completing and draft
ing the agreements contained in the
resolution will 60 right on. The five
naval powers will begin their talks.
Eight European land powers, probably
France, Germany. Italy, Russia, Poland,
Rumania, JugoslaWa and Czechoslo-
ton. as among themselves, of the Hoo
YER effectives plan.
When agreements are sufficiently ad-
vanced, the conference will be recon-
vened, probably next November.
Copyright, 1922