New-York tribune., 1921-11-18
Attitude of British and
Japanese Is Influenced
by Strong Sentiment
for Hughes's Proposals
Ship-a-Year Idea
Quickly Discarded
katoApproves Submarine
Program, but Asks for
More Light Cruisers
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.-Both
the japanese and British delegations
are beng moved in the direction of
she American proposals for the
limitation of naval ornaments bv
pressure of public opinion at home.
Inc movement may be slight, but it
IS OBVIOUS from several developments
today, which brought the conference
SO much nearer an agreement that
no one was surprised when Senator
Lodge, one of the American dele.
gates, predicted it would complete
It's work before Christmas.
Japan, it was made known. will
urge that the proportion of her bat
tieshlp fleet to the American and
British be increased from 60 nor
cent at which it is fixed in the Amer
lcan proposals. She will also uree
that she be allowed as large a feet
OF light cruisers as either Britain
or America, but is content with the
allotted tonnage of submarines
Ship a. Year Idea Dropped $ +:
The British turned right about
face on the much discussed idea at-
trIbuted to them that the shipyards
should be permitted to build bat
tleshlp a, year during. the ten years
naval holiday. A member of the
British delegation expressed sur
prise at the amount of publicity
given this thought. He indicated
that several plans to prevent the
absolute scrapping of the armor
plants and gun factories were being
considered by their naval advisers
put SAID no concrete proposal had
been shaped. This alleged objection
by the British delegation to the
American plan has been warmly
criticized in some of the leading
British newspapers.
On Pacific and Far Eastern question.
Albert Sarraut, one of the French de,.-
gates, publicly voiced the Willingness
OF Francois outlined last week in The
Tribune's Washington dispatches-to
give up her spheres of influence, con-
cesslons and leaseholds in China if the
other powers interested would do ike
wise; Particular reference was made
ny NJ. Sarraut to the British holding at
Welhalwel and to the Japanese in
Shantung. The French are willing aJ,o
TO give up their extraterritorial rights
IN CHINA, II the other nations will make
similar concessions, and they also ex-
pressed willingness to arbitrate the
boundary between French Indo- China.
and China proper.
Oppose Secret Negotiations
sympathy was expressed by the
French for the Japanese requirement.
OF raw materials and for expansion.
but their faces will be set, it was made,
cioar, against any secret negotiations
with regard to China between the other
powers.
The French have thus gone a littls
further than any other nation in d;s-
cussing the Chinese proposals. but NO
opposition is expressed to accepting the
proposals as program for discus
sion.
1t was agreed to-day that there
should be full discussion of the
Cnlnese proposals at the next meeting
OF the full committee on Pacific and
Far Eastern questions. This commit
tee consists of all the delegates of all
the powers represented at the confer
encc. Following this general discus
sion, however, the committee will pre-
ceed to the consideration of the Pacific
and Far Eastern questions in the order
IN which they were stated in the
American agenda. This decision yir-
tually means that China will be given
her day in court, but the decision will
not be handed down. until after the
other Pacific and Far Eastern prob
lens have been taken up.
Kato Issues Statement
Admiral Baron Kato, the Japanese
Secretary Of the Navy, voiced the first
concrete proposal for amendment of
the American naval armament iimita~
tions to-day when he issued the fol-
lowing statement:
Because of her geographical posi.
tion, Japan deems it only fair at the
present time that the other inter-
ested countries should agree that she
maintain proportion in general tom
mage slightly greater than 60 per
cent, and in type Of vessel of strict
ly defensive character, she might de-
sire even to approximate that Of the
greater navies,"
The type Of vessel Of strictly de-.
fensive character" of which Japnn
wants to have as many as either Amer
lea or Great Britain, it was learned
afterwards, means light cruisers. Jspaa.
II was said, has no desire to change
u. the .,r rate 10. ct suSms5ines e proposed