The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-29
DiscOrd at Arms Conference
Has Ruined Early Success.
British and French Delegates
Blame Each Other.
ALLIED COUNCIL MAY join IN
Shipyards of World VIII Be
Busy on Small Ships.
Three New Principles of Inter-
national Law Now Up.

Washington, Dec. 29.-The plans for
a ten year naval holiday having been
consigned to the international scrap
heap along with the old capital ships
of the worlds great navies the dele
gates to the arms conference met
again today to try to gather up the
loose ends of a naval agreement.
The entente cordiaIe between the
French and British delegations has
Abeen severely Jared by Frances re-
zssusal to accept a Limitation on her
auxiliary shipping program 1t has
suffered a number of hard bumps
since the conference began on Novem-
Der 2 but none so great as that oc-
casioned by Frances defeat of the
naval holiday plan and her fatty an
nounced determination to build up d
great fleet Of submarines.
Harding and Hughes Confer.
Prospects of another limitation of
armament conference being called to
consolidate the accomplishments of
,the present conference and possibility
to renew attempts at submarine limi-
tat.On. BEGAN to fade. rapidly today
following a visit to the White House
by Secretary of State Hughes.
The president and Secretary Hughes
held a long conversation over the
armament conference developments
and the failure of the meeting to
limit tho submarine and auxiliary
craft ratios of the big naval powers.
Have Echo at Cannes.
So intense has been the feeling en-
gendered by developments in Wash
ington that it is likely to have a re
percussion in Cannes early I'M January
when the allied premiers meet to dis
cuss financial and economical mat
teri.
seldom have the statesmen of two
=. frfaTdlU
addressed each other in an Internal
tional gathering with the candor and
pointed suggestion that characterized
the debate between A. J. Balfour anu
Sarraut over the submarine contro-
versy.
British Blame French.
While still maintaining the outward
aspect of observing the diplomatic
amenities British spokesmen, in the
. conference and in talking with news
paper correspondents, lay the blame
for the failure of the naval holiday
plan directly at Frances door, Dis
appointment and 'amazement' are
expressed over the French attitude
The French, in return, do not con-
ceaI their resentment at The attempt
ed dictaticn" by Great Britain. The
attitude assumed by the French
spokesmen is that France herself is
the best judge of Frances needs,
France needs a great auxiliary naval
force and that ends the matter.
United States and Britain United.
The British and American delega-
tons waged a determined fight in the
secret meeting this morning for the
quick adoption of the Root proposals,
but it was an equally determined op-
position that met them.
An effort was made to refer the pro-
posals to a subcommittee for a report.
but the united efforts of Great Britain
and the United States prevented this
and kept the subject on the current
business file of the committee.
Naval Holiday Only Shell.
Only loose ends Of the naval agree
Went now remain to be gathered up
.s a result of latest developments.
}-The ten-year- naval holiday remains
only the shell of a holiday
The first crack in it appeared when
Great Britain was given permission
to build two more superdreadnaughts
and the United States was given per-
mission to complete two of her dread
naughts. in return for Japan's reten-
tion of her priced Mutsu.
The crack widened- to a yaWning
chasm when France refused to accept
the submarine plan proposed, result
ing in the prompt announcement by
Great Britains sspokesmen that
Britain would regretfully feel COM
PEELED to decline any limitation in the
number of auxiliary ships which she
viii have to build to offset the French
submarine program.
Another crack appeared when
France formally announced her ac-
Ceptance of the 1.75 ratio. providing
she was allowed to begin building re
placements in 1927, instead Of in 1881,
as proposed. .--.-..
The net result of these. amendments
to the original scheme, it was admit
ted by officials today, is that there
will be naval building thruout the en-
tire ten years and the holiday will be
holiday in name only4
Keep All Shpyards Working.
The auxiliary naval ships will keep
the shipyards of all nations going fun
blast and it was predicted today that
II will take Great Britain all of six or
eight years to construct her two SUI
perdreadnaughts. The bugaboo of
kidle ship workers and rusting machin-
Sery has disappeared. Naval fighting
craft will be constructed. altho they
will be smaller craft.
When the powers met again today
TO renew the naval discussion, three
auxiliary propositions were before
them for decision. They wereI
i. The suggestion of the American
delegation that all auxiliary naval
ships, with the exception of airplane
carriers be limited to 10000 tons in
size
2. The set of principles governing