Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-17
AND ITALIAN
RATIO EXPECTED To
Be CONS|DEREDNEXT
Whole Committee to Be Call
ed SQan-Far Eastern Me-
gotiation Meet Unexpected
Obstacle

WASf1lNGlOAN, Lee. 1o.-(by lie
Associated Press -Agreement has
been reached by the United States
Great Britain and Japan on ,1inita
ton Of naval armament, it. was said
late today by a spokesman for the
British delegation.
Statement was made at the same
time in American delegation circles
that the negotiations over naval
ratio had gone lover the top Of the
hill SUCCESSFULLY
When the naval committee of Is
met. in it's first session, late Thurs
day, to hear the report Of the naval
ratio agreement between Great Brit
ain, the United States and Japan,
there were indications that the final
settlement was in a form under
which Great Britain will build two
new battleships Of approximately
$4,000 tons each as her equivalent
for Japan's retention Of the Mutsr
The plan contemplates the scrapping
Of four British battleships of the
King George v class.
The size Of the new British ships,
which in power and other military
characteristics will closely resemble
the Mutsu and the American Mary
land class, is slightly larger than
the $4,000 ton limitation Of the
Hughes proposal. 1t is understood
this excess in tonnage is due to the
British blister" under water con-
struction as protection against sub
marines.
Meeting at the state department,
Secretary Hughes, Arthur J.. Balfour
and Admiral Baron kato spent an
hour discussing, it was understood,
the naval ratio question and at the
end of the session it was indicated
they would not meet again. This
was taken to indicate final and COM
plete agreement on limitation of ma
val armament as regards the United
States, Japan and Great Britain.
Plans for a meeting later today
Of the new naval committee of fif-
teen, representing all five Of the
naval powers, were made after the
conclusion Of the session of the big
three. 1t was indicated that an an
nouncement of the agreement on
naval matters between Great Britain,
the United States and Japan would
be made during the afternoon.
The calling of the first meeting of
the committee Of Is was expected to
result in the taking up Immediately
Of the next step in the naval nego-
tiations-the French and Italian
naval ratios. This question could
not be considered by the conference
until the agreement among the three
major naval powers had been COM
pleted.
Mr.. Balfour, on leaving the state
department said: 1.-The conversa-
tons are through" He would not
elaborate on the statement and Sec
rotary Hughes and Admiral Kato
refused to discuss the meeting.
Later announcement was made
that Secretary Hughes would see
the newspaper men between five
and six o'clock instead of $50
o'clock, the usual hour. This to-
gether with other developments
strengthened the belief that a final
agreement had been reached and
that announcement was imminent
OF a plenary session of the confer
ence tomorrow or Saturday for pres
entatinh Of the agreement.
The big three at their meeting to-
day had before them two alternative
proposals as prepared by the ex-
perts to balance Great Britain's ma
val forces against substitution by
Japan Of the superdreadnaught Mutt
su for the older ship Setsu and for
a similar substitution by the Unit
ed States Of two newer ships for
older ones
Experts Report
Proposals relating to the SOS RAJ
ito, as worked out overnight by
naval experts, were presented to-
day to Secretary Hughes, Mr.. Bal
four and Baron Kato, which indi-
Gated, according to delegation
spokesman that no formal agree
ment had been reached by the
big three.
The proposals, submitted as a
means of balancing the naval ratio
to compensate for the retention of
the Mutsu by Japan, would permit
Great Britain to build two super
Hoods, scrapping four old dread
naughts and one battle cruiser, OF
the type of the Tiger and Repulse,
or to build two battleships of the
Royal Sovereign class, scrapping
four dreadnanughts, but no battle
cruisers.
The increase of the American ton.
mage by $4,000 would admit the sub
stitution of the super-dreadnaught
Colorado and Washington for the
older battleships, Delaware and
North Dakota.
Japan, in retaining the Mutsu
would scrap the Setsu.
The substantial effect of the
adoption of either of these alterna-
tives would be to increase the naval
ratio of 5-5-3, while admitting a gen.
eral increase of tonnage all around.
British Indignant.
The British delegates were rep
resented as indignant at the sugges-
ton that they have been opposing
the japanese request for retention
of the Mutsfl and increase of ton.
mage for the reason that the British
did not wish to build more ships.
The spokesman also said settle
ment of naval ratio, SO far as Japan
was concerned, was involved with
that Of Notifications in the Pacific.
at should be pointed out" Brit
ish spokesman said, that under the
arrangement respecting United
States ships, the United States ton
mage would be increased to $4,000"
Apparently the delay in reaching
settlement, it was said, was due
to the necessity of reconciling the
various sets of figures.
Regardless of the alternate pro-
posals, a spokesman predicted a
plehary session of the conference to
consider the report Of the big three