The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1921-11-16
POWERS ACCEPT
u. S. PROPOSALS

ing American proposal for reductio
OF naval armament became the eccept-
ed fundamental policy of the arma-
ment conference today by the unani-
| nous assent of the five great powers
Snconding the bold lead of the Unit
ed States the accredited spokesmen of
Great Britain, Japan, Italy and
plenary session of the conference and
one after another declared the readi.
ness of their governmnts to accept
| the American proposal in spirit and
in principle but with the reservation
of right to suggest notifications of
detail.
Then the problem of these details,
which everyone realizes may yet oc-
cupy the prolonged attention of the
conference and involve the success or
failure of the whole plan, was re-
ferred. for preliminary examination to
:" mmtttee of five technical naval ad-
visers, one from each of the big five
powers. Within this committee first
of al Great Britain will ask for a
further reduction of the limit pro-
posed on submarine tonnage. Japan
will endeavor to prove her right to a
greater ratio of naval strength than
has been suggested for her, and
France and Italy will request that
their naval questions be considered
along with those of the three stronger
naval powers embraced in the Ameri-
can plan.
Thus the diplomacy of the Ameri-
can delegation has won it's first vic
tory in the conference but still finds
itself confronted with questions of
admitted Importance and delicacy
whose solution is requisite to attain
ment of the purposes for which the
nations were called into consulta-
tipn.
While the technical advisers wres-
tie with the ornaments problem and
the delegates themselves continue in
formal conversations on the American
plan the other big subject, of the con-
ference, the Far Eastern situation,
will be given it's first forward formal
consideration at an executive meeting
tomorrow of the delegates of all the
nine interested nations. Tonight every
one Of the delegations was in a wait
ing attitude toward the Far Eastern
questions and if any nation had a
comprehensive plan of settlement to
present at the outset it was carefully
concealed.
The lead in accepting the principle
|of the American naval proposal was
token in today's meeting of the con-
ference by Great. Britain, whose his
torical naval supremacy would even
tually give way to an equality of
|stsength with. the United States if the
plan became an actuahty. Arthur j
Balfour, head of the British delega-
ton, announced the British accept
ance in a speech that stirred the emo
tions of delegates and spectators and
started a discussion in which diplo-
matte cards were laid on the table in
a manner unprecedented in interna-
tional conferences.
plause for the speech of the British
statesman the chief delegate of ia
pan, Admiral Baron Kato. was on his
feet to pledge the readiness the
island empire of the East to proceed
with sweeping reductions" in her
fleet. Senator Schanzer of Italy and
Premier BRAND of France added in
their turn a pledge of cooperation in
the program laid down by the United
States.
Mr.. Balfour alone made specific
mention of the notifications that
would be suggested as the negotia-
tions progressed. Reduced Of the fig
ure set as a maximum of submarine
tonnage was the project on which he
indicated his government would be
most insistent, but later members of
the British group elaborated the sug-
gestions they are to put forward
somewhat as follows:
First: Reduction of the submarine
tonnage the United States, Great
Britain and the United States and Sd ;
900 tons for Japan. 1t was indicated
that Great Britain would urge cutting
this in half, $4,000 tons for the two
powers and similar reduction for
Japan. In addition the British pro-
posed to limit the size of submarines
in such fashion as to confine them to
defensive operations and make them
unusable oversee.
Second: That to protect future
knowledge and skill in capital war,
ship construction, each nation retain
one capital ship building yard capable
Of producing a ship year and scrap
all other warship building facilities.
Third: That allowance be made in
the American replacement schedule OF
light craft such as light cruisers and
gunboats not of particular use in any
| naval offensive or defensive opera.
tions for the adequate policing of the
seas by all naval powers.