Mar, 1, 'The experts of Great Britain and France, with the American observers analyzed, at their meeting this morning, the' tonnage statement presented by France and agreed upon certain figures as a basis for discussion, Those figures were reported to the heads of the Delegations concerned, and this evening Mr, A. V. Alexander and Mf. Dumes-nil, the chiefs of the British and French Admiraltios and the American observers, together with the experts of the three Powers, will meet at the House of Commons to continue their discussion on these figures.
This morning also, M. Briand and Signet Grandi, the French and Italian Foreign Ministers, had a conversation which lasted for some tim The newspapers state this even-that the American Delegation shave reached the conclusion that the United States will be unable accept any consultative pact as 9 means of facilitating a reduction of French tonnage figures, the feeling of the Delegation being that such a pact would entail more obligations than appear on the face, of it, and that the United States Senate would not ratify any such proposal.
Considerable progress was made at a meeting of the heads of the Delegations to-night.
Mr. A. V. Alexander, the: First Lord of the Admiralty, reported verbally on the programmes of the First Committee, stating that an agreement in substance had been reached regarding special and exempt classes of vessels, and that, t from the question of submarines, the greater amount of the business referred to the First Committee would now be laid before the heads of the Delegations who will meet again on Thursday.
It is understood that the British Delegation hold a similar opinion to that of the United States Delegation as regards a Mediterranean Locarno.
Ruling out a consultative pact narrows the Conference down to reducing the French figures, and the First Committee, which is the whole. Conference me private, decided to exclude existing. special ships from the global tonnage figures, not Gnally. but for the not attend, and the French Foreign Minister was informed that ¢he figures, Ttalians had been asked to produce
The atmosphere in French circles distinctly gloomy. The probable outlook appears to be a Five-Power Treaty, which may secure a qualified disarmantont in the form of a holiday in the building of battleships work which may smooth they way for a future' conference.
M. Briand to-day expressed the opinion that the Naval Conference would last another fortnight, The delegates, with their experts, met in Air, Ramsay Mac-Donaid's room in the House of Commons to-day and dealt with the British and French tonnage figures collated and simplified at the various meetings between Mr. A. V Alexander, the First Lord of the Admiralty, M, Dumesnil, the French Minister of the Navy, ight Morrow, a member of the United States delegation, this involving a continuation of the conversation which had taken place in the interval between the political heads of the British and French navi There was no hint of any decision. The matter will be brought up again tomorrow.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.