The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-12-16
NAVAL HOLIDAY
|SAGREED TOAND
RATIO ACCEPTED
Japan and U. S. to Keep Their
New. Dreadnaughts
GREAT BRITAIN TO BUILD
This Country to Scrap 80 Old
Ships, Great Britain %,
and Japan Is

Washington, Dec. 15(By the AS
sociated Press.) )-The first great
stride toward hve-power treaty Inn
iting naval armament was taken to.
night when the United States, Great
Britain and Japan announced final
agreement on the American five
fye-three" ratio.
The next step-elaboratio Of the
agreement to include France and
ltaly--~was initiated Immediately
within the new naval committee Of
10, In which all FIVE powers are rep
resented.
Agreement among the three major
naval powers was reached on tie
basis OF status quo" understand
ing as to fortifcation of the Pacific
islands. At the same time the
United States and Great Britain ac.
cede to Janans desire to retain her
newest battleship the Mutsu, with
proportionate changes In the Ameri.
can and British fleets
While the principles of the origi
nal American proposal we're not I'm.
paired by the triangular agreement,
the settlement contemplates the tol.
lowing changes In fleets to be re-
tanned:
Great Britain, twenty ships instead
OF twenty-five. with an aggregate of
$50 $50 tons instead OF 604, $50 tons
United States, eighteen ships. as
originally proposed. but with an az
gregate OF $525,O00 tons instead OF
500G50 tons.
japan, ten ships, as originally pro-
posed, but with an aggregate of 313,
300 tons instead Of 299, 700 tons.
At the end OF the ten-year building
holiday. t.'e fleets will stand under
the revised detailed plan as follows:
Great Britain. $4,000 tons; Unit.
ed States, $4,000 tons, and Japan,
3l5, 900 tons.
Strict silence was maintained by
Gll members OF the committee Of
fifteen as to what transpired after
the agreement had been announced.
an official statement saying merely
that negotiations for TIE five.power
agreement and treaty were proceed
ing. The French group is under-
stood. however, TO have began pres
entat.on OF Frances desire for
capital ship tonnage equal to that
NJ 1anan In the revised figures
$4,000 tons. This presentation was
not concluded, and will continue
when the committee reassembles to-
morrow. There we're intimations in
both Frenc'i and Italian circles that
long discussion might be neces-
sary before a complete Ave-power
understanding could emerge for ac'
ton by the conference itself
"ha revised horsepower naval
agreement, in addition to overcoming
the most disffcult stumbling block
in the pathway OF the conference
the re atiye strength Of the American
and Japanese ileets--has saved
tree huge new super-dreadnaughts
from the scrap heap. They are the
Japanese Mutsu and the American
Colorado and Washington, sign, en-
bodying lessons of the World War.
Provision also is made for two new
British "post-Jutland" ships to be
laid down at once, and does not other
wise modify the ten-year holiday In
naval building.
One other change in the original
American proposal is made under the
revised plan. The maximum tonnage
displacement of future capital ships
is fixed at $1,000 tons, American
measurement. instead of $4,000 tons.
II Is understood this change was
made to meet the British nracti"e
OF eQulpping capital ships with anti.
submarine coat "blisters' evolved
during the war. These outside air
compartments along the S'Nip's hull
add to the ships weight
| Great stress was laid tonight by
official spokesmen OH the fact that
conferees of the three powers lad met
throughout the negotiations In the
most conciliatory spirit, and had eX'
hibited every desire to deal fairly
with each other in arriving at a naval
understanding.
1t was plainly ind Gated that TIE
American. British and Japanese mem
bers of the committee of Is were
strongly hopeful that a similar spirit
OF accommodation and understanding
would be encountered In threshlne
ont the places Of France and Italy II
the new naval scheme of things
The question Of naval ratios toi
France and Italy naturally takes
precedence over other naval matters
stil to be determined. Beyond it lie
however, the problems of submarines
which Great Britain will raise as al
issue Of world naval policy appor
tionment OF aircraft carrier tonnage
in which japan has indicated an IN
tense interest; determination o
methods for scrapping 6S capita
ships OF the three powers aggregat
ing 1861 ,645 tons; proportionate al
lowances for other auxiliary cratt
decision as to limitation of mercAah
men for war use, and other less IN
portant elements Of the limitation