The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-27
PROGRESS IS MADE
BY CONFERENCE IN
SECRET SESSIONS
American Experts Pleased at
Way Their Estimates Have
Stood Up Under Fierce
Attacks
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS
washington Bureau, The Age-HeraId,
500 Davidson BufIdfnR.

Washington, November 26.-(Spe-
cial )-American naval experts are
more than pleased by the successful
manner in which their original com
putations as to naval strength have
stood up" under the fierce attacks
and criticism of foreign experts.
Their present attitude may be
summed up in the words of one Of
the American leaders today: Il am
more convinced than ever before that
our proposal was justified In every
particular, and stands as the hon
est. fair and generous statement OF
existing naval strength.
To the arguments advanced by the
Japanese for the Mutsu. the Ameri-
can experts point to the Colorado and
Washington. already in the water, as
the NIutsu was, and the West Vir-
ginia, just launched. Either the COL
orado or Washington might be
claimed as existing strength with
as much justification rs the Japanese
claim regarding the Mutsu, they add.
The Real Status
This bureau is able to report the
'4nside" status of the naval reduc-
ton following the several days Sc
cret parleys between Secretary
Hughes. Mr.. Balfour and Admiral
Kato. 1t may be said that material
progress has been made towards
eventual agreement. more so than
has appeared on the surface.
In these conferences Kato and
Balfour have acceded to the basis on
which Hughes has insisted-that inc
ratio for future naVies should be ths
absolute existing naval strength.
~ 70 hn
on capital ships. Furthermore, in
these conferences, the British view
has much more closely accorded with
the view of the United States than
with that of Japan.
The differences lay in what the ma
val experts compute existing
strength" to have been November IL.
AS a matter of fact, final agreement
is not so much now the business OF
the delegates, themselves, as or the,r
Il experts. 1t is now question OF the
age gun power, armament and speed
of various battle crafts as assessed
differently in the mainly different
experts.
six Different Calculations.
The Japanese experts. 1t is known
have submitted six different methods
OF calculating the existing naval
strength as of November H. 1t is
Interesting to note that in these SIX
different methods, the Japanese
strength, according to their method
OF reaching valuation, ranges from
81 to 10 per cent of that or the
United States, instead of the oo per
cent as reckoned by American naval
experts. In fact, Americans figure
the Japanese strength more nearly
so than 60 per cent of that OF the
United States; but to remove pos
sible bias for self-interest, the Amer
leans, arbitrary on their figures. have
+added weight to the value or the
.Iananese fleet. The Japanese ex-
merits also give greater credit to the
strength of England than the United
states; greater, also. than Englane
asked for.
The average of the six japanese
computations was 1873 per cent ioi
England, 100 per cent for the Uniteo
States and 69.4 per cent for Japan
,rhe first major point of difference
in computations is whether the Nut
su is to be calculated as a snip III
commission, or as new construction
Insist Mutsu Ready.
The Japs insist that 1t represent:
existing strength, and claim that no.
only has it made all its trials ane
has a full complement aboard, bn
that 1t has actually steamed mor'
than 5000 miles. Yet, according t'
official naval programs, 1t was no
10 be added to the battle line unu
January /, 1922. The United states