The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-12-10
WHAT CONFERENCE
HAS ACCOMPLISHED
Arms Delegates at Washing
ton Working on Limita-
ton Naval Construction.

Washington The arms conference
Saturday took a recess until Wednes.
day, but for most of the delegates there
is no rest In the increasingly promi-
nent informal negotiations IN when
individuals and small groups exchange
views on important phases of the ne
gotiations.
For the present these interviews are
concerned chiefly with collateral ele-
ments of the situation while progress
on the all-important subject of naval
ration awaits further word from Toxic.
The Far Eastern discussions are to be
resumed at meeting of the commit
tee of the whole on Wednesday. but it
NAV be late in the week before the
Japanese have received instructions
from their government warrantlng
further steps in the naval exchanges.
Washington and the United
States appeared to be approaching an
agreement on the question of naval
ratio
After a conference between Secre-
tary Hughes, Admiral Baron kato and
Arthur j. Balfour. the Japanese dele
gates began communicating with To
kio. presumably submitting to their
home government some new phase of
the negotiations.
This Official communique was issu-
ed Arthur ] BalfOur. Admiral Baron
kato and Secretary Hughes met at the
state department Friday and bad an
extended interview with respect to the
naval proposals No comment on the
interview can be made at this time
To that Baron kato added in reply
ing to questioners, Il can not dlvulge
anything that was brought up at to-
days conference"
But from elsewhere came intima-
tions that possibly the question OF
American Notifications in the Pacific
and possibly the Japanese ambition to
retain the overwhelmingly Mutsu
had entered into the developments.
Unofficial Japanese accompanying
the delegation to the Washington con-
ference put forward the suggestion
that if Japan were permitted to retain
the Mutsu and the American govern
ment agreed not to further fortlfy its
Pacific bases, the Japanese fleet would
have in effect a rating of 65 or Sc per
cent instead of the so per cent allowed
by the American proposals.
Supporting this view, in so much as
it relates to the question of fortified
tions. came this authoritative outline
official source:
''In Japanese minds strong fortified
tions near the home soil give cause for
anxiety because the Japanese people
want to know the reasons for them. To
them they are closely connected with
the question of national defense, just
as is the question of definite under
standing concerning the Far East be-
tween the United States, Japan and
Great Britain.
There were no expressions from the
authorized spokesman of any group to
indicate how far these views repre-.
scented the results of Fridays proceed
ings; all the delegation leaders stood
firm on the official announcement that
mo comment can be made at this
time
1t was pointed out by unofficial Jap.
anese that whatever may have been
proposed at Fridays meeting had to
be referred to Toxic, because the Jap
anese delegates do not have plenipo-
Tertiary powers and because the Toxic
government would need to consider
the situation as it may affect the ex.
isting ministry.
The whole development, however,
was represented by delegation spokes.
men as justifying optimism. One, 9TH
er than the Japanese, characterized
the situation as most favorable and
added that Fridays conference was
one of the most important yet held.
On behalf of the Japanese, fur
Their point was emphasized in this
way:
Japan has no intention to wreck the
conference At the same time. Japan
must satisfy the demands of the en-
pire that the national defense shall be
adequate The problem is to harmon
iZe these two clear issues and it is the
problem Immediately confronting Ad-
miral Kato Japan is striving to settle
the naval ratio question on the basis
of considerations of national defense
alone There is no desire or intention
to bargain on the question or to seem
to be giving up the position on the
ratio in exchange for some advantage
elsewhere