Evening star., 1933-06-11
|FOUR-POWER PACT
MAY AID PARLEY
Relieving of Tension Encour.
aging to Discussion of
Economic Problems.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

The World Economic Conference
opens tomorrow in London under
slightly more favorable conditions than
few days ago.
| This apparent improvement is due
the fact that the four power pact has
been signed by France, Italy. Great
| Britain and Germany. and, while the
pact in itself has nothing to do with
| the Economic Conference. its acceptance
by these principal European nations
eases somewhat the tension between
France and Italy.
The London conference is going to
deal only with economics. But, as long
| as the tension between the four main
continental powers continued, there was
no hope Of them being able to get to-
gether on such questions as stabilization
of currencies or reduction Of tariff bar
riers.
Original Purpose Changed.
The four-power pact has no longer
the Significance which Premier Musso-
lini wanted to attach to it.: that Is to
say, that it no longer provides for an
early change of the territorial clauses
of the Versailles treaty. But while 1t
failed to do this, 1t has had as an i'm
mediate effect the improvement Of the
Franco Italian relations. Reports from
Paris indicate that Mussolini Is doing
his utmost to paly up to the French
and that settlement OF the naval
parity question between the two ma
tions is in the ofing.
This was one of the main causes OF
the Franco-Italian tension and one OF
the reasons for disagreement at Ge-
neva. The American Ambassador at
large, Norman H. Davis, had made Sc
rious Efforts during the Geneva CONVEX
sations last year to remedy this situa-
ton and since the month OF April he
endeavored to get Italy and France to
agree to a solution which he and the
American naval expert, Admiral Arthur
j. Hepburn, had devised last December.
The American Ambassador reports
now that with the new friendly feelings
between the two nations, the solution
of the naval question is q matter OF
weeks and he hopes that final agree
ment may be reached before the Dis
armament Conference meets again on
July 3.
Neither President Roosevelt nor the
State Department are too sanguine in
their hopes for a successful conclusion
OF the Economic Conference.
Something may be done IN London.
1t Is said, but what that something
may be, nobody knows. 1t may be that
some reciprocal agreements TO reduce
the present tariffs may be reached with
a number Of nations; 1t may be that
some preliminary measures for the sta
bilization Of currencies can be found by
the hundreds of economic and financial
wizards who represent Sc countries In
London. But all these agreements, It Is
felt here. will be Of more or less theo-
retical character without an immediate
practical value.
No Immediate Solution Seen.
The problem with which the economic
delegates are confronted Is too vast to
expect an immediate solution: the most
that can be hoped for Is an expression
of good will and desire to continue
to cooperate in the future.
But with Italy and France feeling for
the time being kindlier toward each
other. it is expected that the negotia-
tions will proceed in better atmos-
phere than it had been anticipated
few weeks ago.
In some diplomatic quarters In Wash
inrton the hope Is expressed that the
main result Of the London Economic
Conference will be a-closer cooperation
between France, Great Britain ana
Italy.