The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-13
Plenary Session of Conference
Saturday May Be Last.
Only Three Obstacles to Com
pIete Agreement Remain.
MAY MODIFY NAVAL HOLIDAY
Japan Expected To Be Allowed
to Keep Big Ship.
High Committee of Fifteen to
Have Full Powers.

Washington. Dec. / 8 Cby the A. P.)
-Japan's acceptance of the American
proposal for a 5-5-3 naval limitation
has been communicated to the Amer
lean and British delegates and it was
said that an agreement might be ex-
/ pected late this week.
Washington, Dec. 13-Another
open session of the armament confer
ence within 1 week, perhaps on Sat
urday. appeared probable today as a
result of the rapid progress that has
been made in the reconciliation of
divergent views.
1t is planned to clear up the naval
question at the next plenary session,
and when that =. accomplished, there
will be but little standing in the way
of the conference between getting out
OF Washington by the holidays. So
confident are the foreign visitors that
there will be an early adjournment
that nearly all of them have made
tentative sailing arrangements for the
last week in December or the first
week in January.
Three Obstacles Remain.
Three obsta -,~main in the path
way of a naval agreement:
/ Japan's insistence that she be
allowed to retain the Mutsu, her latest
completed dreadnought, doomed to
plan.
?. An agreement on the fortifica-
tions of the Pacific.
g. England's demand that the ton
mage of submarines allotted to each
nation be cut in half and that the
cruiser types of the submarines be
abolished entirely.
These matters were discussed by
the big three"-Hughes, Balfour and
Kato-in a meeting last night and will
be taken up again late today.
Baron Kato Informed Secretary
Hughes, it was learned, that Japan is
willing to take the so per cent ratio,
but that his government must retain
the Mutsu, in which there is centered
a great deal of national pride. He did
want to keep the Mutsu in addition
to the so per cent, it is understood
but as a part of it offering to scrap
sufficient other tonnage to compen-
safe Cor her.
May Modify Navy Cuts.
The answer of Secretary Hughes is
not known, but the impression pre-
walls that Japan will be allowed to
keep the Mutsu and the United States
will take compensation by retaining
the Colorado, Washington or other
new units of the American fleet
2 It Britain will be allowed to
comp tie one of her super Hoods if
tbs arrangement is gone thru with.
ate an agreement in the naval under
standing providing for the disman-
Ting of Pacific fortificationS but in
this she finds arrayed against her both
the United States and Great Britain.
Cold Water for Japs.
This attitude on the part of Great
Britain has thrown cold water on
Japanese aspirations in this direction
| ana today it was regarded as improb-
| able tn anything of drastic proper
tons would be attempted
1t is believed the British insistence
on modification of the submarine
part of the Hughes plan likewise is
doomed to get nowhere. American
naval opinion is soidly against the
British proposals and this opposition
IS backed up by France, Italy, Hol-
land and possibly Japan.
In British quarters today. 1t was in
dlcated Great Britain, if turned down
here. will renew the insistence that
submarines be done away with at the
next conference, probably to be held a
year hence
The work of the conference proper
slowed down today to allow the dele
gates to witness the formal signing
| of the new four-pov.er Pacific treaty
set for IL o'clock at the state depart
ment.
Name Plenary Body.
| Appointment of the new naval sub
committee of fifteen, including both
plenary delegates and civil and naval
experts of the five powers in place
/ OF the former SUBJ committee COM
| posed exclusively of experts was re
/ garded today as a step placing the
entire naval program OF the confer
ence in process toward final and
detlnite working out of its remaining
problems.
En- .owment of this committee with
fCOntinned on nagP ak,
ing in the archives of the state de-