FEW TEARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 64, 17 March 1930, Page 7

FEW TEARS.

IF CONFERENCE FAILS. France Not Enamoured of Naval Parleys. THEEE-POWEE TEEATY LIKELY. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 16. The "Sunday Times'" Paris correspondent says that France was never greatly enamoured of the Disarmaiment Conference, preferring the Preparatory Commission at Geneva, and for that reason is not keenly disappointed at the present crisis. Unless M. Tardieu's visit to London or Signor Grandi's telephone talks to Rome produce a miracle, French opinion is that the conference is practically dead, which will occasion little surprise and few tears. Several advocate the conclusion a three-Power agreement between Britain, America and Japan, leaving France and Italy to go their own way in preference to including them within its terms and forcing an increase instead of a reduction in the three Powers' programmes. The French Premier, M. Tardieu, has arrived in London. He refuses to divulge whether it is proposed to make any change in the French attitude. Dispatches from Paris yesterday morning all affirmed that M. Tardieu, the French Premier, had nothing new to offer. It seemed to be a case with France of security or nothing. There is a suggestion that France and Italy should agree to a rigidly fixed tonnage strength in the Mediterranean, but that offers little hope, because the Mediterranean is only three days' steaming from other French ports. The British and American view is to let France and Italy discuss any proposal, however small, if only to bring them nearer. Terms of Compromise. There seems to be a good prospect of a three-Powers agreement being concluded at the Naval Conference. America and Japan have reached a compromise which has been approved by both delegations and their naval advisers. It is now being submitted to the Japanese Government, whose assent is expected on Tuesday. The terms of the compromise are that America will have ISO,OOO tons of vessels carrying 8-inch guns and Japan 10S,000 tons. America will bring her total to eighteen cruisers by adding one in 1934, 1935 and 1936 respectively. Britain will have fifteen, and Japan by 1936 will have eight of the Nachi type plus four 7100-ton 8-inch gun cruisers of the Kato type. This whittling down of Japan's large cruisers has been achieved by concessions in the ratios of smaller ships. The relative figures are:— America. Japan. Tons. Tons. Light cruisers . 143,000 104,000 Destroyers ... 150,000 105,000 Submarines ... 52,000 52,000 This makes it easier for Britain to enter a three-Powers agreement, but it is still a problem how she will stand if France extensively builds 10,000-ton cruisers. As a solution of this, perhaps also as a temporary solution of the Franco-Italian impasse, it is suggested that France and Italy until 1936 should submit their minimum building needs for embodiment in a treaty, leaving the vexed issue of their parity to be worked out at a later conference. MR. HOOVER'S VIEWS. OPTIMISTIC AS TO OUTCOME. WASHINGTON, March 16. At White House it is intimated that the President, Mr. Hoover, regards the outcome of the Naval Conference most optimistically. Mr. Hoover believes a period of clear sailing should follow the rejection by Britain and America of all political pacts and that as the negotiators are no longer reiterating an irreducible minimum both are getting down to realities in their tonnage figures.