Arizona republican., 1921-12-21
FRANCE AGREES ID AMERICAN PROPOSAL
 ON NAVAL TONNAGE
With French NauaI Plan Settled Conference MoDes ForUard To Submarine Question; Italy Accepts NaUaI Limit EquaI To France; Great Britain To Seek Abandon r,1ent Of Submarines
Republican A. p. Leased WIreJ

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.-Accept- ance by France with reservations of the American proposal of 175. 1000 tons in capital ships each for France and Italy, swept the arms conference for ward tonight to its next major problem-the submarine issue. Italy already has accepted the 175, 900 ton figure, conditioned only on its ac- ceptance by France.
 Formal announcement of French acceptance anL details of French re- servations apparently were reserved by the subcommittee of 15 for the full naval committee, called to meet Thursday. The subcommittee, how ever. published messages exchanged by Secretary Hughes, and Premier Briand. whicch led up to the action of the French delegation. The mes sages were read and discussed by the sub committee, but the official communique disclosed no more than the texts of the cablegrams.
 The premier's message showed that reservations attached to acceptance of the 175,OO0 capital ship tonnage had to do with Tight cruisers, tor pedo booats and submarines" This has served tc bring the conference to standstill until the submarine issue can be solved when the five power capital ship agreement will be completed automatically. It is assumed that the full naval commit tee was called to lay out a program for the discnssion of submarines and anti submarine craft as the two are interwoven in French and British opinion
 This implies that the auxiliary
 craft elements of the American plan
 must be shaped into agreement be- | fore the conference committees can i return to ratify the capital ship | agreement.
 ! A direct step toward bringing up the submarine issue fin it's first
 phase-the British proposal to ab- i olish submersible war craft-was taken today. The British delegation asked that a plenary session be | called to permit presentation of their l case.
 Anti Sub Agreement 1 At such an open session Lord Lee | Tor the British group will -et out | reasons why the British believe sub | marines should be banned. He will | read prepared statement. it is un- | derstood. But there are indications | that even in that statement the | British will show lack of conviction that the conference will share the | British view on submarines. It will 1t IS understood set out also the sec i ondary British proposal that if sub | marines are to be retained the ton- mage allotments be cut far below
 the existing strength principle of the American proposal. There is
 also a suggestion in British quarters l that should neither view prevail. the l British would deem 1t necessary to
 seek radical increase in their aIlot- ! ments of anti submarine craft as a l measure of self-defense. That
 means more light cruisers and de- | stroyers and possibly airplane car riers.
 The correspondence between MT. | Hughes and Premier Briand shows
 that as conference chairman MT. Hughes dealt frankly with the situ-
 alton created by the French proposal
 to build ten new capital ships.
 T regret to say" he said. that
 after canvassing the matter and talk
 ing the best information I can ob-
 tain. am compelled to conclude that 1t would not be possible on this basis
 to carry through the agreement
 No Trouble with Italy MT Hughes added. after pointing out that the retained feet agree ment between Great Britain. the | United States and Japan was con l tngent "on an appropriate agree- l ment with France and Italy" and 1 that there will not be the slightest ! difficulty in making an agreement . with Italy if we can reach a suita bic i understanding with France. Then
 you will observe the attitude of ! France will determine the success or [ failure of these efforts to reduce the heavy burden of naval armament He also stressed his view that the premier's statement indicating to the 1 conference "the particular situation of France with respect to land arm
 aUent'' seemed 10 point to the very-