The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-05
BRITAIN READY ID GUT ARMAMENT F
 U. $. AND JAP ARE
Japan Expected to Be Sum- bling Block, But Possibility of Steel Rationing Would
 Likely Have Effect
By GEoRGE N. BARNES

By GEORGE N. BARNES
 Former Member British War Cabinet. Special Wireless Dispatch to The Age Herald
 Copyright. 1891, by The Age-HeraId)
 (England is ready to limit her navy in agreement with the United States. Oddly enough she expects Japan to prove stumbling block. But it is sug- gested that Japan be Automatically re- minded that she cannot build md main tain naval nrmaments without steel and she is dependent for steel upon sources outside her domain. She could be put on ratfoBs if necessary. These impOr- tsnt words come from Mir. Barnes, political power in England, and nre written on the eve of consideration of the proposed renewal of the treaty of alliance between Great Britain and Ja- pan.)
 London, June A. (Special.) - .'Barkis is willing"
 In other words, England is ready to agree to a limitation of naval strength if Japan and the United States will do the same.
 But Japan is the difficulty.
 Perhaps it may he necessary dip-
 lomaticaIIy to remind that country
 of her dependence upon outside
 
 other requisites for naval arsnn-
 ments. and suggest to her that she
 may he rationed.
 There has been much comment here regarding the attitude of President Harding toward disarmament, and the unanimous adoption by the United States Senate of Senator Borah's amendment to the naval bill, request ing the President to invite Great Brit ain and Japan to consider with the United States the mutual limitation of naval ornaments.
 MT Lloyd George, the prime minis ter, has been asked to submit an in dorsing motion to the House of Com mons, and while his answers have been non -committal, they have not been un- favorable.
 Country Wants It
 But there is no doubt as to tho atti- tude of this country in regard to na- val reduction. The country wants it. The subject has had poignant ap- plication, for one of the notable events of the week Is the sale for breaking up of one hundred and fourteen obso- lete naval craft, including the origin- al and once all-powerful dreadnaught- { They have been sold for million dol lars. The original cost was probably in excess of one hundred million, fig. ures that had emphasized the wastes of war preparation. We are still con fronted by the Irish situation and the coal strike. The full results of the Ulster elections, now at hand are more favorable to the unionists than predicted in my last dispatch. The unionist party has succeeded in placing all of its nominees, so that the new northern parliament in Ireland will start with 40 members favorable to q British union. with but 12 in opposi- tion. Only six of the latter are Sim Feiners.
 Unionist Strength Demonstrated
 The elections have passed of with out serious trouble and they demon strate in a striking manner the strength of the unionist sentiment in the northeast of Ireland. Ireland now has chance to redeem herself by the cooperation of the clements in Ulster and elsewhere.
 The retirement of Sir Edward Car son fittingly synchronizes with the establishment of the new Irish parlia- ments. He has been a picturesque fig- ure in the House of Commons. which must say will be the poorer for his loss. In the future he will be hidden in the House of Lords as a member of the court of appeals.
 Meantime. there is little sign of peace between the Sim Fein and the British government. The latter is about to largely increase the number of her mil itary forces in the unhappy island
 The position in regard to the mining disputes is much the same as 1t was q month ago. Conferences have been held but they have proved abortive, except for the fact that the mine owners and the miners are putting the new pro- posals or the prime ministers up to their respective district committeeA
 Amount to Arbitration In effect the proposals amount to Narbitration. Pending permanent set- clement it Is proposed that work should be resumed on a temporary basis with a subsidy of fifty million dollars from
 (Cont1nued on Page TenD