Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-24
NAVY AND CHINESE
NEGOTIATIONS NEAR
FINAL SETTLEMENT
Continued From Page ~

the Far East have gone as far as
seems possible.
Consideration of the Far Eastern
problems was renewed today by the
delegates of the nine nations, sitting
again as a committee of the whole,
with the hope that further general
principles could be incorporated in
the agreement reached yesterday.
In the main, the discussions are fol.
lowing the lines of the ''ten points"
suggested by China, whose delegates
are confident that in the end most
of these points will have been trans
lated into actua! agreements on pol
icy.
No Treaties Likely
All the present indications point
to an Understanding rather than
a treaty as the form to be taken by
| the final Far Eastern agreement.
Diplomatically, such an instrument
would be classed along with the
"gentlemen's agreements of the
| past regarding China and would not
require senate confirmation. There
| have been hints that the naval re-
duction agreement might also take
| that form, but that is said to be one
of the details still to be adjusted.
Comparisons of China's bill of
rights with the four principles adopt
ed by the conference yesterday dis
closes that the latter covers only two
and a half Of the ten points" prop
er, and one paragraph of China's in
| troductory statement.
| The resolution providing for the
| sovereignty, independence and terri
torial and administrative integrity
of China, covers in almost Identical
words China's proposal under LA; the
resolution providing for tn e"open
door" deals with the Chinese second
point, that prohibiting special privi-
leges is contained in the fourth Chi
nese point, and that which is desig-
ed to aid China-in her international
affairs, applies to the following para
graph in the preamble to the Chinese
! declaration:
y
| (Chiha) should have every possible
opportunity to develop her political
institutions in accordance with the
genius and needs of her own peo-
pie"
Thus are left for consideration of
the conference:
I Point lib, China's undertaking not
to lease territory or littoral to any
power;
Point 8, which prohibits treaties
regarding the Chinese region with
out China becoming a party there
to;
Point 5, which treats more speclfl-
cally with the political and admins
trative integrity of China, viz, ex-
ira -territoriality;
Point 6, providing for limiting the
duration of China's present commit
ments;
Point Z, providing for the interpre-
tation of Instruments granting spe-
cial privileges in China in favor OF
the grantor;
Point 8, providing for China's
right as a neutral;
Point g., which provides for peace
full settlement of international dis
| putes in the Pacific and the Far
|
| East; and,
Point 10, providing for future con-
ferences of the powers/as basis for
determination of common policies in
relation to the Far East.
Experts at Work
| Naval experts of the three major
powers still were reviewing today
the highl ytechnical questions that
4 have arisen in connection with the
American proposals for immediate
reduction of the fleets and ten-year
naval building holiday. The British
and Japanese officers appear to have
found some details of the plan which
will require treatment before there
is final acceptance.
For one thing, the British have
pointed out THE effect on the fleets
the American program would have
if the full measure of Secretary
Hughes plan were carried into exc
cution. The plan proposes absolute
cessation of building for ten years
the fixing of the life of a battleshlE
at twenty years, replacement build
ing to begin seventeen years after
the ship to be replaced was COM
pleted, thus allowing three years
for construction of the new ship.
The twenty-year life rule, alone Is
| a novel one, for other naVies. Japan
! now uses eight years as the life OF
! capital ships, beginning replacement
within that period after a vessel is
! constructed. She has not as yet
worked out this year cycle, however,
expecting with her present building
program to attain it in 1928. Great
Britain has no replacement schedule
at present. For two years prior to
the war she laid down five new bat
tleships a year and for years pre-
viously four a year. This program
: was what maintained her "two-poW-
err standard" now abandoned. 1t did
not contemplate a twenty-year active
: life for the ships.
Applying the proposed American
replacement rule to the ships to be
retained by each power under the
, same program, Great Britain would
have in 1881, at the end of the ten
year naval holiday, when she might
} begin replacement building, four bat
= tleshipS that dated back twenty-five
| years to the time that the keels were
laid; four going back twenty-one
, years, and four twenty years. Her
: newest battleships, the Royal Sow
ereign group of five, were laid down
in 1914 and completed in 1916 under
war pressure. They would be fifteen
years from date of completion and
two years from the beginning of re-
placement vessels when the holiday
ended.
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