New-York tribune., 1921-11-16
Willing to Make Greater
Cut Than Proposed by
Hughes, Provided U. S.
and Britain Cooperate
For BalfOur Plan
TO Junk Raiders
Undersea Craft Only a
SWasteful Expenditure, ,
Declares Baron Kato
By Thomas Steep

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15.-Japan is
ready to scrap all submarines except
those needed for coast defense, pro-
vided Great Britain and America will
join in proportionate reductions She
will agree to reduce all submarine
fleets to less than one-half the strength
stipulated in Secretary Hughes's pro-
posal for naval limitation.
Prince Tokugawa and Admiral Baron
Tomasoburo Kato, Japan's Minister of
Marine, after tho conference to-day,
instructed their naval advisers to draw
up plan based on the suggestion of
Great Britain that the maximum sub
marine tonnage proposed by Mr..
Hughes might be further reduced and
that long-range submarines, or raiders,
such as Germany used to attack pas
senger ships during the war, might be
abolished altogether. 1. was said at
the Japanese delegates headquarters
tonight that the technical details of
the plan embodying further submarine
curtailment were already being formu-
lated and that the plan, when com
pleted, would be brought before the
conference in line with Baron Kato's
pledge that Japan is ready to pro-
ceed with determination to sweeping
reduction in naval armament"
Moved by Balfour's PROPOSAL
In taking step which would virtu-
ally end extensive submarine warfare
the Japanese delegates were frankly
moved by the suggestion made by
Arthur j. Balfour, speaking for Great
Britain, who said before to-days con-
ference, "the amount of submarine ton
mage permitted by the new scheme fs
far in excess, believe, of the tonnage
possessed by any nation at the present
moment, and | only throw it out as a
suggestion that it may be well worth
considering whether that tonnage
should not be further limited"
The suggestion was taken up imm edi-
was coupled with the hope that America
would see it's way to concur. The
adoption OF the plan, it was said, would
tit IN we'll with the ten-year holiday in
navy building, so far as Japan is con-
cerned
Naval experts attached to the Jana
nese delegation pointed out that Janan
could advantageously cut the sub
marine tonnage permitted her under
the Hughes plan to less than one-half
or from $4,000 tons. as proposed in
the Hughes. plan, to $4,000 tons. The
maximum figure represents the total
submarine tonnage Japan would have
II her present building program were
completed. The minimum figure is
that of her present submarine
strength.
Relative Strength Undisturbed
The submarine strength of other
nations which would be permitted
under the Hughes proposal would be
Great Britain and America each
10000 tons. A proportionate reduc-
ton by all nations, as provided by Mr..
baltour and now concurred in by the
Japanese delegation, would leave the
relative. submarine strength of these
three nations undisturbed, the Japanese
delegates assert and the elimination
OF submarine building, except for
small craft for coast defense pur-
poses, would materially reduce the
cost of armament
In Japan's naval program about 80
600 tons Of new submarines are pro-
vided for. Part of these including the
most modern types of far-cruising sub
marines, are already under construc-
ton Japan is willing to serap these
and to abandon the building of any
more submarine craft under the
Hughes plan for a ten-year holiday
in naval building. "Wasteful expend-
iture," was Baron Kato's phrase in de-
scribing the international struggle for
submarine as we'll as for battleship
rivalry. He added that Japan would
not be found tagging if Mr.. Balfour's
proposal for further reductions were
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