Evening star., 1936-02-22

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France and italy, would do.
The diplomats knew very we'll what
they could do; namely, drag conces-
sions out OF us and then tangle the
conference up in European politics.
That is what they always have done.
That is just what they did this time.
This may explain to the per-
ple1ed reader 1Dhy both President
Roosevelt and Secretary Hull found
themselves extremely busy tDith
other matters Dhen the French
Ambassador brought his 35,000-ton
battleship troubles to them the
other day.
1t also explains. as nothing else
could. that international conference
history always repeats itself.
Traded Out of Cruisers.
No official statement will ever be
made about what happened on the
inside at London, but you may accept
the following as approximately cor
rect:
The pet United States cruiser is the
| 10.0O0-ton ship. Our seadogs refused
to concede the British demand for a
limitation on this type at the 1927
conference. 1t wrecked the conference,
but saved the cruiser.
Nevertheless. the British got US this
time into a five-year limitation on
construction of that type of vessel,
and strongly against our will.
The bait was a promise to forego
their insistence on reducing the size
of battleships from $4,000 tons. That
looked good to us, because the $4,000
ton ship suits our Navy. We wanted
particularly to avoid the proposed
British reduction to 25000-ton limit.
The deal looked like give-and take on
a fair basis.
But as soon as the task ,Dds dc-
complished, 10 and behold. the
French suddenly began to pine and
ho,ul tor-of all ships on the seas
27,0O0-ton battleship limit. tDhtch
,Uas Just about the thing the Brit
tsh had gtven up.
France Enters Picture.
Now. no one will ever be able to
prove that the French took up the
old evacuated British position because
of some secret understanding they had
with the British. Nor will any one
be able to disprove it to the satisfac-
ton of some of our diplomats.
They have deep suspicion. whether
true or not, that the British got the
cruiser concession out of us and then
induced the French to fight the bat
tleship issue for them.
On top of all, the French started
dragging in european political dis
putes to such a fragrant extent that
our Mr.. Davis had to object. Even
Mr.. Hull found it necessary at a press
conference to say that the United
States went into the conference to
discuss naval matters and nothing
else.
Vandenberg on War Debts.
Among 130,000,000 people only Sem
ator Vandenberg is talking out loud
about the lost issue of war debts.
However, the subject has lately
aroused new unobserved interest
among officials, certain top financial
authorities and even a couple of Eu-
ropean nations.
Financial talk centers around the
GdUisability of eliminating this
barrier to World trade and under
standing. A good many authori-
ties agree that settlement would do
more than anything else to pro-
mote better business.
Certain nations secretly sent over
unofficial feelers for 10 per cent set
tlement before the last installments
came due. Other similarly inadequate
feelers are reported to have been made
lately.
The trouble is that the only prac-
tical way to get them to pay anything
Is to lend them twice as much as they
pay. That deprives the subject Of
interest for most authorities.
No Ship Bill Indicated.
The coy figure of Postmaster Gen.
eral Farley is supposed to be vaguely
behind the new Guffey ship bill. The
equally shadowy profile of Commerce
Secretary Roper is distinguishable be-
hind the conflicting Copeland bill.