Evening star., 1934-08-16
NAVY CONFERENCE
DELAY IS SOUGHT
Britain, France and Italy
Favor PoStponement.
Japan Opposed.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

The naval conference scheduled for
next year will have to be postponed
unless there is substantial improve
ment in the international situation, is
the opinion in responsible circles here
and abroad.
Exchanges of views regarding such
O postponement are taking place at
the present moment between the five
powers signatory to the Washington
and London naval agreements, and
while Great Britain, France and Italy
are willing to put off negotiations for
another naval treaty, Japan cannot
see any advantage for herself in such
a postponement. The United States
Government is willing to do whatever
the other nations decide.
The four western powers which
have not completed their naval pro-
grams in accordance with the London
naval treaty of 1880. see no harm in
waiting for better times before they
can resume the negotiations for
further limitation of the naval forces.
They realize that under the present
conditions of political restlessness it
would be futile to talk about reduc-
tions cf their combat fleets. AS their
naval programs will not be completed
before another two or three years, they
are willing to maintain the present
status quo. which is acceptable to all
except Japan,
Japan's Program Complete.
The opposition of the Japanese is
due to the fact that they have COM
pleted already their naval program
and the admiralty as we'll as public
opinion in Japan is dissatisfied with
the existing ratios and want an up
ward revision of the tonnage allowed
them under the Washington and the
London naval agreements.
A postponement of the conference
would mean for Japan prolongation
of a distasteful situation and further
more would lessen their bargaining
power if the conference meets in 1886
or 1887, because the United States
then would have more powerful
navy in commission than next year.
How to obtain postponement is
the problem bothering diplomats of
the Western nations.
There are two distinct treaties
which are to be taken under discus
sion at the next naval parley-the
Washington treaty of 1921, dealing
with capital ships. and the London
naval treaty of 1880 establishing rat IS
for auxiliary vessels, cruisers, de-
stroyers and submarines.
The Washington treaty has a def
mite provision whereby unless one OF
the five SignatorieS denounces the
treaty, it continues without any fur
ther conference for a period of two
years. This continuation can go on
for an indefinite time, until one of
the powers decides to denounce it.
Consequently there will be no techni-
cal difficulty in carrying on for another
period of two years.
Conference Is Obligatory.
The London naval agreement pro-
vides that a conference must be held
before the end of 1885, and it is un-
certain as to how postponement
could be obtained. II all the naval
powers agreed among themselves to
put the conference off for a certain
period, there can be no further trou-
BILE, but the diplomats are worrying
as to what will happen If one of the
signatories, Japan for instance, de-
mands that a conference be held. 1t
appears for the time being that such
a request could not be ignored with
out giving the Japanese a good excuse
to break the agreement which def
nitely provides that it should last
only until 1896.
Besides the unsatisfactory interna-
tional situation there are two other
reasons why the Western powers
wish to postpone the conference:
First, Great Britain and France wish
to bring the naval reductions within
the frame of the general disarmament
conference and this conference can
not be revived unless the political
situation in Europe has cleared up.
Second, despite the efforts of the
British and American diplomats to
bring about some sort Of general un-
derstanding between the Western
naval powers, their views are as far
apart as ever.