Bisbee daily review., 1921-12-17
ANNOUNCES TEN
 NE W WARSH|PS
 WILL BE BUILT.
Proposals Act as Bombshell Following Agreement of
 Big Three Thursday ALL DELEGATES SILENT Naval Committee of l5 Will Not Discuss Sensational
 Proposals of French

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-(sy the Associated Press) British spokes- men hurled a bombshell into confer ence circles today with an announce ment that France had asserted before the naval committee of IS her irten- ton of building, between 1925 and 1885, 10 capital ships of 35,0oo tons each. The statement stood unchal- leneed from French quarters through the day.
 It appeared that a French proposal was submitted at the first meeting of the committee after Secretary Hughes had announced the agree ment between Great Britain, Japan and the United States to abandon pro jected building programs, scrap 6S capital ships, aggregating nearly g. GOO, ,00O tons, and set their navies in 10 years on a 5-5-3 ratio basis as be- tween themselves. The one action disclosed at today's meeting of the committee of 15 was the agreement not to talk of what was going on un- til a conclusion had been reached.
 Meet Again Today
 The British statement as to French proposals preceded the committees mo talk" decision. An official com munique as to today's session said merely that the committee met, ad- journed and would meet again tomor- row.
 There were indications that the French group had not concluded pre- sentation of its case in the three hour session They are eXpected to con tinue tomorrow, and pending that, it is believed that the French delegates are in communication with their gov ernment possibly to seek broader powers
 French spokesmen have repeatedly pointed out that they are without any official knowledge of what was in progress in the "big three" naval ne- gotiations eliminating in the triangu- lar agreement. They received the official announcement of the agree ment late yesterday, and it appeared possible that when the French govern ment had taken time to study closely the three power understanding, mod ifications in French proposals might be forthcoming Vague hints of such possible developments were in circula tion tonight. but whether founded on knowledge or hope could not be de-
 
 termined.
 Delegates Are Silent
 The relentless rule of silence ap- piled to committee of 15 deliberations prevented any official or even semi official explanations of Frances posi- tion. It did not prevent, however. a tumult of comment outside the com mittee.
 Details of the French proposals were lacking. Brief glimpses glean- ed from British sources before the curtain was rung down again by the committee of IS was ample to show it's disturbing nature.
 While the British-American-Japan- csc agreement as to the 5-5-3 ratio between themselves stands and is expected by those who negotiated it to stand against any development of the conference, the whole question of ship scrappipg and ship building has been upset. It was asserted authori- tatively from the British viewpoint that determination of any power out side the triangular agreement to build up it's naval force over present status on any substantial scale must of necessity mean not a reduction of