ISSUES DEFINED

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 74, 28 March 1930, Page 11

ISSUES DEFINED

NEW PHASE OF CONFERENCE STILL LOOKING AHEAD British Official Wireless. (Received 28th March, 11 a.m.) BUGBY, 27th' March. With this afternoon's meeting of the heads of tho delegations the London Naval Conference is generally regarded as having entered upon a new phase. The issues confronting tho Conference are now clearly defined, the work of experts having cleared the ground of certain technical difficulties. Tho Franco-Italian deadlock remains the chief obstacle to further advantage, but following the conciliatory speech of the French Foreign Minister, M. Briand, in the Senate last week, hopes are entertained that a solution may be found and that a five-Power agreement, which is still the sole aim of the Conference, may be achieved. M. Briand had a long conversation with tho Foreign Secretary, Mr.. Henderson, this morning, and it is understood that tho political aspects of the problem before the Conference were touched upon. The Priino Minister, who entertained tho United States experts attached to tho Conference and their wives at luncheon at his official residence, had a short conversation with Mr. Wakatsuki, the chief Japanese delegate, just before the full meeting of the heads of delegations was held at St. James's Palace this afternoon. Political issues were not raised at that meeting, which was very brief, but it is probable that they will play an important part iv conversations which, as the communique indicates, are contemplated in the course of next; week. The communique says: "Discussion concerning tho next plenary session continued from the point where it had been left at the previous meeting. It was agreed that a plenary session should be held on Friday of next week, when tho progress of the conversations which are being held between members of the various delegations and of tho committee's work should be reported. The heads of the delegations meet again on Monday."