MEDITERRANEAN ISSUE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20521, 24 March 1930, Page 9

MEDITERRANEAN ISSUE

SLENDER HOPE OF SUCCESS. EFFORTS BY MacDONALD. LONDjON. March 21. 'A strong impression prevails that the middle of next week will bring to the surface the real pQsition at the Naval Conference. It will not be the least surprising if it should be announced that hope has been abandoned of getting France and Italy into line. This feeling is heightened by the absence of news from Paris, whither the Premier, M. Tardieu, has returned, coupled with the fact that the remaining French delegates went home this evening. The Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, and Mr. H. L. Stimson (America) this morning discussed disarmament, and afterwards the Prime Minister had a conversation with Mr. Wakatsuki (Japan) on the same subject. The King received Mi. Mac Donald in his customary audience at Buckingham Palace. Mr. Mac Donald then departed for Chequers, and will return on Sunday evening. A message from Paris says M. Tardieu announces that he will return to London when the conference has taken a definite turn. The substance of Mr. Mac Donald s conversations with M. .Tardieu last Sunday and with M. Briand on Wednesday were personally communicated to the chief Italian delegate, Signor Grandi, by the Prime Minister in an interview at the House of Commons. Mr. Mac Donald assured him that no effort had been made to put pressure either on 1' ranee or oil Italy, to accept any special proposal as a means of ending the existing deadlock. In the House of Commons yesterday Mr. Mac Donald was asked for an assurance that the Government would not enter into any engagements that involved the sanction of a blockade in the Mediterranean which went in any way beyond the letter of the Covenant of the League of Nations. He said such a proposal had been neither contemplated nor discussed. According to messages from Tokio the reply from the Japanese Government is unlikely to be sent before next week to the proposals agreed to by the American and British Governments, which the Japanese delegation has referred to Tokio for approval. The French delegate, M. Pietri, had a conversation with Signor Grandi, before he, and ono or two others of his French colleagues returned to Paris for the weekend.