Evening star., 1921-12-25
Decline to Take
$1,000 Tons
as Share.
HOPE OF EARLY
SUCCESS WAVES
British, Failing in
Plea for Abolition,
Quickly Agree.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
An American effort to compromise the
submarine controversy failed of i'm
mediate success today before the arms
conference naval committee when Japan
refused to accept d reduction of her
submersibles to $1,000 tons and French
action was deferred pending advices
from Paris.
"heh the committee adjourned after
lour hours debate to meet again next
tuesday some members of the Ameri-
can group appeared discouraged over
the prospect for an early agreement on
submarines. although negotiations are to
continue.
The American compromise plan.
presented after the British effort for
complete suppression of submarines
had been shelved. proposed 80, ,OoO-ton
l1mltat1on for Great Britain and the
United States instead of the original
American figure of 9O.O0O tons e,cb
and virtually status quo for the other
three powers
British Quickly Accept.
The British delegation. failing n
obtain favorable action in sunnres-
sion of submarines. accepted the new
american reduction scheme. The
French group indicated that IL would
be unacceptable. but deferred fu,,
answer pending Paris advices, Japan
flatly held out for the full 1000 tons
In submarines under the orieins,
American 5-5-3' ratio plan. Ita,v
accepted the compromise plan, con-
difoned on a submarine tonnage
parity with France, the Italian dele
gates contending that 3l,500 tons
would be the correct Limitation for
both France and Italy.
The French delegation indicated
that IT would not oppose parity with
Italy in submarines as well as cap
ital ships. but withheld approval of
any tonnage limitation of less than
the so.oO0-ton figure suggested by
French experts. Under a status ouo
France would have about 4a.oo0 tons
Americans Hold to Advice.
The American group made it plair
1hat' while it had great sympathy
Tor the British viewpoint in opposin.
all submarine warfare, it was inclined
10 agree with the American advisory
committee that submarines were a
legitimate weapon. 1t was said +h.
matter had been discussed with Pros.
ident Harding and that the willing
ness of the American government to
proceed at some future date tow.rd
an international discussion of sub.
marine warfare on a wider basis tina n
at the present conference had heen
indicated.
1t was also indicated that the
Americal delegation would bring into
the conference later a resolution con-
demning in formal fashion for the
live powers such use of submarines
as was made by Germany during the
world war.
BalfOur Makes Final Plan.
Before the British proposal was
shelved, whicn was done tacitly and
without comment or formal action,
Arthur j. Balfour made final plea for
the British case against underwater
craft. At the same time he placed for
mally on the records of the conference
a concise statement of British views on
this point and urged that a world con-
J T1l
the question.
To insure agreement the American
delegation again offered, as in the
capital ship proposal, to make the
greatest sacrifice in tonnage. Ameri-
can figures show a present submarine
strength of $4,000 tons for the United
States and $4,000 tons for Great
Britain. Under this compromise plan
the United States thus would SCRAP
35, 900 tons and the British $4,000. The
effect Of the American-British agree
ment today. had it been ratified by the
other three powers, would have been
a net reduction of nearly $4,000 tons
in the worlds submarine tonnage.
Aimed ms HALFWAY Meeting.
The American compromise plan ap-
peared to have been aimed as meet
ing half way the desires Of each
power in submarine tonnage limi-
tation. 1t was an attempt to solve
the controversary that had arisen in
the naval committee with Great
Britain and France in direct op-
position and poles apart in their
views as to the Importance of sub
marines in warfare. The British de-
sire to reduce submarine tonnage
would have been met in a large de-
gree on the one hand under the
American plan, while on the other
hand the French desire to increase
submarine tonnage and the French
submarine ratio as compared to
Great Britain and America also
would have been met in approxi-
mately the same degree.
Action Of Japan in refusing to
swerve from the line Of the "5-5-3'
ratio injected q wholly new element
into the controversy and this and
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