The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-15
ARMS PROGRAM
NOT SWALLOWED
IN ITS ENTIRETY
British Chief Has Suggested
Changes for Requirements.
Basic Principles and Spirit Are
Endorsed Emphatically.
JAPAN QUICKLY JOINS IN
France and Italy Fall in Line
Without Debate.
Balfour Suggests New Inter-
national Holiday Be Fixed.

Continental Hall, Washington, Nov
15.-The second step in the direction
of scrapping half the worlds great
navies and stopping all building of
battIeships for at least ten years, was
completed today.
The first step was taken Saturday.
when the American government calm
" tossed its revolutionary program on
the table before the astonished eyes of
the statesmen of Europe and Asia.
The second step was taken today
when the spokesmen for the British
empire, Japan. France and Italy for
1nauy notified the United States that
the drastic American program is fun
damentaIly acceptable to them and
that they are willing to leave the de-
tails to the quibbl.ng of experts.
Willing to Follow Z. S. Lead.
One after another, the spOkesmen
of Europe and Of Asia arose in their
seats about the great green thble n
Continental hall today and publicly
proclaimed their willingness to CO.
operate to the fullest with America in
this greatest step toward disarmament
that the world has ever seen.
The British and Japanese were first
to speak, because theirs are the only
great navies besides Americas that
will suffer the colossal scrapping pro-
posed in the American program.
Italy followed and then France,
speaking thru her fiery premier, Bri-
and He went even further than had
been anticipated in giving his support
to the proposal of the decreased arma-
ment of all kinds He said that when
the conference began to consider the
cutting of standing armies-Of which
she has the greatest in the world
the assembled statesmen would be sur
prised to learn how far he was pre-
pared to go.
Not Swallowed Whole.
Britain and Japan did not swallow
the American program whole. They
both made their reservations but
agreed their reservations would not
affect the scheme in any vital partic-
ular.
Great Britain suggested:
l. That it might be found advisable
to prohibit absolutely the construction
of giant cruiser submarines such as
the Germans used with such deadly
effect in the latter stages of the war.
2 That it may be necessary to
make some changes in the replace
ment regulations proposed by America.
Japan suggested:
/ The defensive necessities of each
nation must be taken into considera-
tion and that,
>. She will at the proper time pro-
pose certain notifications in the re-
placement scheme.
The whole history making session
occupied less than two hours
Italy and France in Line.
The acceptance by France and Italy,
which had been counted upon, fol-
lowed naturally when the statesmen
from London and Toxic had finished
addressing the conference.
Thus in the remarkably short space
of three days, the American govern
ment has proposed program of avail
destruction and future government
unequalled in the history of the world
and has had it accepted as funda-
mentally sound by all the great pow
ers of the world.
After spokesmen for all the four
powers-British, French, Italian and
Japan-had spoken, Secretary of State
Hughes spoke this nations gratitude
and said that their acceptance of the
proposals as a basis on which to pro-
ceed was agreeable to the United
States. Then the conference adjourned
at the call of the chairman.
Britain's acceptance was voiced by
the tall, venerable Arthur J. BalfOur
in a speech that will go down in his
tory as one of the greatest ever ut
tered by a British statesman.
Japan's acceptance was spoken in
Japanese by the diminutive. unemo-
tional Baron Kato. head of the min
istry of marine.
While accepting the American pro-
gram in spirit and principle both
Great Britain and Japan made certain
reservations and suggested modifica-
tions of the program as originally pro-
posed by Secretary Hughes.
Must Curb Submarines
Mr.. Balfour spoke feelingly about
the necessity of curbing the construc-
tion of submarines beyond the point