“NO SIGN OF WAY OUT.’’

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18519, 17 March 1930, Page 9

“NO SIGN OF WAY OUT.’’

French Stand Firm. LONDON CONFERENCE OUTLOOK. (United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received March 16, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 14. There ife no sign yet that the way has been found to bridge the gulf between the wishes of France and Italy. It is generally believed that Mr Ramsay Macdonald’s talk on Monday with M. Tardieu will be the most decisive event of the whole Conference. It is stated from a responsible quarter that Italy’s unyielding attitude, with respect to parity, is chiefly bas: 1 on resentment that France alone is attempting to impose a limit on Italy’s sovereign rights. It is not a question of Italy wanting to, or having the money to build as many ships as France, but of having a continuance of the principle of parity with France, conceded in the Washington Treaty in relation to capital ships and aircraft carriers. If France will agree to a limit of 500,00 Q tons, Italy will instantly accord her assent, though perhaps she will never want to build to that figure.

The Britains and Americans, as a last resort, are beginning tentatively to consider what acceptances of France’s full contention for a total strength working out at 660,000 tons, would entail in the direction of increasing British, American and Japanese totals in relation to partly in the Mediterranean, but the Italian spokesman declares:: “We are ready to accept any figure Britain and America suggest to us, but it must be parity with the strongest Continental power.”

France’s reply to this statement is parity means that her fleet must be divided on three fronts, while Italy’s is more concentrated.

FRANCO-ITALIAN DEADLOCK. VARIOUS COMPROMISES PROPOSED. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received March 16, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 15. Whether or not Mr Ramsay Macdonald and M. Tardieu to-morrow will devise a solution of the Franco-Italian deadlock, it seems certain that the course is set for a Three Power agreement, as the result of the AmericanJapanese compromise, which has been approved by both delegations and their naval advisers. It is now being submitted to Tokio, whose assent is expected on Tuesday. Japanese Compromise. The terms are that America will have 180,000 tons of vessels carrying Bin guns, and Japan 108,000 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, eight of the Nachi type, plus four 7100-ton

Bin cruisers of the Kato type. This whittling down of Japan’s large cruisers has been achieved by a concession in smaller ships ratios. The relative figures are:— U.S.A. Japan. Tons. Tons. Light cruisers .. .. 140,000 104,000 Destroyers 150,000 105,000 Submarines 52,000 52,000 Three-Party Prospects. This makes it easier for Britain to enter a three-party agreement, though it is still a problem how she will stand if France extensively builds 10,000-ton cruisers.

As a solution of this, and perhaps also a temporary solution of the Franco-Italian impasse, till 1936, it is suggested that France and Italy should submit their minimum building needs for embodiment in the treaty, leaving the vexed issue of their partiy to be worked out at a later Conference. Another suggestion is that France and Italy should agree to a rigidly fixed tonnage strength in the Mediterranean, but this offers little hope, because the Mediterranean is only three days steaming from other French ports.

In the meanwhile the AngloAmerican view is to let France and Italy discuss any proposal, however small, if only to bring them nearer. This morning’s Paris dispatches all affirm that M. Tardieu has nothing new to offer. It seems to be a case of security or nothing.

CONFIDENCE AT WHITE HOUSE. PRESIDENT'S HOOVER’S OPINION. (United Press Association—By Electric Tel egraph—Copyrigh i.) (Received March 16, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 16. White House circles have that President Hoover regards the outcome of the London Conference most optimistically, in view of his belief that a period of clear sailing should follow the Anglo-American rejection of all political pacts, and since the negotiations c..-e no longer reiterating the claims to an “irreducible minimum.” Both are getting down to realities in their tonnage figures.

THREE POWER AGREEMENT PLANS TO ISOLATE FRANCE AND ITALY. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received March 16, 11.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 16. The Sunday newspapers agree that a Three-Power agreement—Anglo-Ameri-can-Japan—is in sight. Several papers advocate the cpnclusion of such a treaty, leaving FrancoItaly to go their o\ra way, in preference to including them within its

terms and forcing an increase instead of a reduction in the Three-Power programme.

M. Tardieu has arrived. He refused to divulge whether the proposal will make any change in the French attitude.