▁delegate , ▁Hugh ▁S . ▁Gib son , ▁had ▁observed ▁not ▁long ▁after ▁the ▁London ▁Conference , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁had ▁decre ased ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁conference ▁because ▁treat ies ▁already ▁limited ▁its ▁n avy , ▁its ▁army ▁was ▁so ▁small ▁that ▁reduction ▁was ▁lud ic r ous , ▁and ▁the ▁proposed ▁measures ▁of ▁air ▁limitation ▁were ▁so ▁vague ▁that ▁they ▁meant ▁little . ▁Gib son ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁conference ▁would ▁" pro bably ▁meet ▁in ▁February ▁or ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁and , ▁disc ou rag ing ▁as ▁it ▁may ▁sound , ▁it ▁will ▁probably ▁go ▁on ▁and ▁on ." ▁He ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁arm aments ▁would ▁never ▁be ▁abol ished ▁completely ▁but ▁that ▁treat ies ▁could ▁perhaps ▁maintain ▁military ▁bal ances . ▁▁ ▁US ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁Henry ▁L . ▁Stim son ▁later ▁wrote ▁that ▁Americans ▁regarded ▁the ▁Gene va ▁Conference ▁as ▁" a ▁European ▁peace ▁conference ▁with ▁European ▁political ▁questions ▁to ▁be ▁settled . ▁The ▁necessary ▁work ▁of ▁sett ling ▁them ▁must ▁be ▁done ▁by ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁Europe ." ▁St ims om ▁realized ▁that ▁Germany ' s ▁position ▁in ▁European ▁affairs ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁ignored ▁as ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁at ▁Gene va ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁or ▁at ▁London ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁know ▁how ▁to ▁recon cile ▁German ▁military ▁amb ition ▁with ▁French ▁fear ▁of ▁its ▁neighbor . ▁Stim son ▁therefore ▁hoped ▁the ▁Europe ans ▁might ▁find ▁a ▁solution . ▁The ▁secretary ▁also ▁hes