NEWS Behind
the NEWS
By PAUL MALLON.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.—The all-
revealing inside of the London naval
conference funny business lately is
that the conference lasted too long.
At least that is the polite way the diplomats would describe it. The sailors
have a better word for what happened.
They know the United States, as
usual, got gypped.
The state department will never say
partment wanted our delegation to
come home when the Japanese withdrew. The navy, however, wanted to
hang around. The admirals desired to
see what the other powers (Britain,
France and Italy) would do.
The diplomats knew very well what
they would do; namely, drag conces-
mnfrrr-nce up in European politics.
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That is just what they did this time.
This may explain to the perplexed
reader why both President Roosevelt
and Secretary Hull found themselves
extremely busy with other matters
when the French ambassador brought
his 35,000-ton battleship troubles to
them the other day.
It also explains as nothing else
could, that international conference
history always repeats itself.
