Evening star., 1921-11-19
M0D|F|CAT|0NSH| HIT
At HEART Of PLAN
Replacement Proposal of
Britain and Japan's Sug-
geSti0n Vital to Scheme.
CAPITAL SHIP THE BASIS
American Delegations Study Dis
closed Crying Evil Was
Competition.
BY LEROY Il. VERNON.

Since its submission to the conference
on the limitation of armament the
American naval disarmament plan has
brought forth suggested notifications
and developments as follows
From the British delegation there has
come the criticism that the tonnage of
submarines provided by the plan is too
high and that the replacement problem
should be worked out in such way
that agencies for thr construction and
repair of ships Should not be forced into
immediate and complete dslocation.
From the Japanese delegation has
come the announcement that Japan will
ask slight increase in the allow
:tnce of capital ships. which is now on
Il basis of five each for Great Britain
and the United States to three for
Japan.
Capital ship Basis.
The replacement proposal of Great
britain and the proposal of Japan re-
late, primarily. 10 the capital ship,
which is III" fundamental upon which
the whole American plan is based, and
I" the naval holiday. which is an in
tegral part and the supreme test of the
American plan.
AS indicated in Mr. Balfours speech
on Tuesday. the British delegation is
not prepared to enter into any formal
agreement on naval disarmament on
the basis laid down by the United States
until the naval strength to be allowed
France and Italy is known and taken
into consideration.
Direct to the Heart.
Suggested notifications of the
American plan. either as to capital
ships or the naval holiday. go direct
lE- to the heart of that proposal.
When the American delegation be-
gan its study of the naval disarma-
ment problem it quickly discovered
that the crying evil in naval arma-
ment was competition in the con-
Struction of capital or aggressive
ships. 1t found that two alternatives
existed. namely acceptance basis
for disarmament of naval strength
ratios in capital ships. built or build
ing, as they were. or unlimited and
Indefinite competition. BY making
the existing capital ship ratio the
basis and reducing the strength of
all navies to the point where aggres-
sion could not be safely undertaken.
competition was at once removed and
ended. There was no other way to
end it. no other solution has been
offered from any other quarter. and
accuracy of the American figures
has not been questioned by any
power thus far.
Ratio From Examination.
It is noteworthy that the ratio sug-
gested by the American delegates
was not arbitrarily chosen by them.
but was fact discovered by them
upon examination of existing navies.
If that fact has been altered at all, 1t
has been altered in favor of Japan.
which was given. on o-to-3 basis,
a slight increase over and above her
actual showing. Further. the Amer
iran plan has not been submitted to
the conference in a dogmatic man
ner. but the American delegates will
naturally want to be shown wherein
il fails to fill the bill in view of the
purpose and intent of the conference.
lust what proposal Japan intends
to make for an enlargement of the
capital ship ratio of Japan is not yet
definitely known. Neither are the
grounds known upon which a slight
increase" of the Japanese ratio will
H.. asked. Ii is clear. however. that
the needs of any particular navy.
as seen by the eyes of its natiOnalistS.
is one open door to restoration of
competition. for the moment the door
Is opened foFafhe satisfaction of one
nations needs the flood gates will
ay' back and counter proposals from
the other powers will follow. The
American plan was suggested on the
basis of facts, backed by conviction
which can only be overturned by new
facts. good reason and sound logic.
ON top of this the naval holiday pro-
poSal is 7he supreme test of good
faith. which must be squarely met.
With respect to auxiliary vessels of