The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-11-04
A|NE ER|CAN PLANS
FOR CONFEREN Nee
FAST DEVELOPING
Reduction of Sea Power to Be
First Considered
PROBABLE Low LIMITATION
u. S. May Establish Minimum to
Oppose Maximum Of the
European Nations

| Washington Noy. 4,--(By the Asso-
cated Press) The policies and pro-
gram OF the American delegation to
the armament conference are begin.
ming to assume definite outline, and
II the expectations OF official Washing
ton are realized. the opening day of
/ the conference will see a sequence OF
developments something like this:
Presentation, at the outset. OF con
crete American plan for lar reaching
reduction Of naval armament
Consideration, along with this plan,
Of such troublesome problems us the
Far East as may naturally project
themselves into the picture.
Meantime an effort by the United
States to keep the negotiations in the
open 50 that public opinion may exert
its pressure toward practical accom-
plishment.
Salient features of the American ma
val armaments proposal already have
been established, and although details
remain to be fixed, there is reason to
believe the reductions suggested will
be sweeping enough 10 convince the
whole world that the United States
meant business when IL called the
powers into conference.
Ii would cause no surprise ii the
leading naval powers found il neces-
sary TO submit the plan of this gov
ernment to long and careful study be.
fore they determine their course of
action. Should the reductions prop0s
I'D prove acceptable, II is believed like
ly that the American delegates, having
once taken the initiative, would Invite
the other powers to present IN their
turn some concrete counter proposal
All the evidence surrounding the
conferences of the American big four
with their naval adj l&ers have pointed
to inclusion OF set OF maximum re.
duction figures in the plan to be laid
on the table by this government. No
official has been willing to reveal any
details OF this figure, but there has
been apparent a desire to lay bare at
the very outset OF the negotiations,
the full extent to which the United
States would be willing 10 90 in seal.
ing down the worlds armament
The impression that such method
may not lead to an immediate agree
ment has been given color by the
apparent intention Of some of the
other powers to pursue a directly op
posite course and enter the confer.
ence setting high figure as the
measure of the naval armament they
consider requisite to their national
safety Japan already has indicated
that she would suggest the necessity
of maintaining a navy equal to any
which might enter her sphere in the
Far East, proportion which naval ex-
perts say Is we'll in excess OF her pres
ent power.
The naval armaments question is
considered certain to be the first to
occupy the active attention of the con.
ference. but it is not the expectation
of officials here that the live problems
Of Far Eastern diplomacy will remain
long in the background. II Is believed
here that the diplomatic and arma-
ment angles OF the situation may de-
velop simultaneously, so that instead
OF having fixed program of conse-
cutiye subjects, the delegates will fall
into the practice OF considering this
or that problem as occasion may
bring it to the front.