Bisbee daily review., 1921-12-29

the future constitution of her fleet to
$4,000 tons for auxiliary crar- ana 10
10000 tons for submarines.
Secretary Hughes, in reply, said he
was gratified at French acceptance
OF the capital ship tonnage limitation,
as capital ships were the CHIEF
weapon of oftense and if the confer
ence succeeded as it seeEiee evident
it would in reducing lin a fairly sat
isfactory manner" ornaments repre-
scented in capital ships, that alone
would aid lin establishing better
basis of lasting peace"
Expressing his disappointment with
the French statement as 70 >uonia-
rines, Hughes said that if these YES
seIs were to be available for defensive
purposes in connection with fleet
movements, they should bear some
definite proportion to the fighting
fleets.
The French suggestion of 10000
tons ION any basis of a practicable
ratio" he added, would lnvoIve the
assumption that Great Britain and the
United States increase their suDma-
rine tonnage proportionately
This could hardly be called limi-
t&tion or reduction" he continued.
Furthermore, if larger number of
submarines were to be provided, then
cruisers and destroyers would have
to be provided in numye-s aacuuute
TO cope with a situation created by a
large submarine fleet"
BaIfour Is Disappointed
Hughes said it was serious ques-
ton whether anything could be ac
CompliShed in the way of limiting
tonnage Of submarines and auxiliary
cIaft. He added that he did not de
sire at this time, and in view of the
existing situation, to discuss details"
OF the tonnage limitations France had
proposed for herself, but that he
wished to say that an agreement tor
expansion of armament was not I'M
der consideration"
The secretary added that he did not
wish to ''detract from the Importance
OF the definite acceptance by France
of the program tor capital ships In
what he had said as to submarines.
Balfour said that the French state
ment had profoundly disappointed
him. although he rejoiced IN the
French acceptance of the ship ratio
and agreed that if nothing else was
done as to naval disarmament, the
scheme already in sight on the nml-
tation of capital ships did immensely
relieve the burden of armament on
an overwhelmed world"
He said he did not regard the
French action as to capital ships as
AN overwhelming sacrifice" as the
figure of $4,000 tons would be found
to mean an Increase in relative
strength for her, he did not begrudge.
The French did propose, he added,
to increase submarines three-fold,'
and he pointed out that while
Frances 10000 tons in submersibles
would equal the fleets of Great Britain
and the United States in size. they
would represent to the extent of co.
coo tons submarines OF newer
type than either other navy pos
sessed. This made it certain, he said,
that if France carried out her sub
marine program, her submarines
would exceed those of, any other
power"
Sees Menace in Plans
Coupled with the announcement
that the French government post
pOned also an increase in auxiliary
tonnage, he said, lit must be ac
knOwledged that this constituted
somewhat singular contribution to the
labors of a conference called for di-
intuition of armament" He also
POINTED out that the Frencn proposed.
even as to the ten-year capital ship
holiday, TO begin replacing ships in
1927" but added that this, while it
seemed to be a serious interference
with the proposal for a 10 years nayll
holiday, was only small part" or
the anxiety and disappointment whicl
the French program had created IN
his mind.
lie declared it was perfectly OBJ
viOus that the proposed 10000 tons of
submarines were intended to destroy
commerce"
They could not be intended rCr
any other purpose he said, adding:
The whole of this controversy WI
again come up before = public confer
epce"