The New York herald., 1921-11-17
MORE ship TONNAGE
DESIRED BY JAPAN
Want 20 Instead of the GU
Per Cent. in Hughes
Plan.
MEANS A DREADNOUGHT
Official Mission Asks Japan
ese Correspondents to
Vote on Question.
TWO DIVERGENT OPINIONS
Some Object to Scrapping the
Battleship Mutsu, as Sec
retary Advised.

Special Despatch to THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau
Washington, ID. c., Nov. 16.
The members Of the Japanese mis-
sion are In serious disagreement over
the tonnage ratio japan should insist
upon in agreeing to the American
proposals for the limitation Of the
navies of the three naval Powers.
The question is whether japan
should be satisfied with capital ship
tonnage equal to 60 per cent. Of the
capital ship tonnage Of the United
States and Great Britain as suggested
by Secretary Hughes or demand 70
per cent. as desired by some of the
Japanese naval experts. 1t is mat
ter roughly. Of about 10000 tons. or
one dreadnought.
So heated Is the debate going on
among members Of the mission that the
newspaper correspondents who are In
Washington to report the proceedings
for the Japanese newspapers will hold
a meeting tomorrow to give their Views
on the subject. The newspaper men
themselves are not in agreement. and
the outcome Of the meeting is doubt
full.
The correspondents who are looking
after the interests Of japan as we'll as
writing for their newspapers have been
brought into the discussion by members
Of the official mission. They will VOTE
1t is expected. on resolution to be
presented asking the Japanese delega-
tion to recede from any idea of demand
ing an increase from go to 70 per cent.
in naval ratio. If the resolution Is car
ried 1t will be presented to the official
delegation.
The issue came UP over the question
Of the Japanese battleship Mutsu, which
Secretary Hughes recommended to be
scrapped. It has been understood by
the American Government that the bat
tleship had been launched and is on the
way to completion. The Japanese say,
however, that she not only has been
completed but Is in commission. They
want, therefore, to retain her as unit
Of the fleet. If this vessel were to be
kept 1t would mean that the Japanese
ratio would be 20 instead Of 60 per cent.
of the other fleets, so far as capital ships
We're concerned.
The group that opposes the request for
an increase IN the ratio takes the stand
that Japan would be making n grave
mistake In asking for 20 per cent.-not
so much that the increase would be de-
sirable from a Japanese national point
of view. but on the ground that such
a request might be misunderstood in the
United States and elsewhere in the
world. They are of the opinion that
Japan might gain much more by agree
ing entirely to the American proposals,
losing the battleship in question, and
hoping to mike up for the loss in polit-
ical considerations.
There is the re. ization, too, that the
insistence that the ratio be increased
would furnish ammunition for the anti
Japanese press in the United States as
well as the pacifist press in Japan.
Except for this talk the consideration
of Japanese acceptance of the American
navy proposals was allowed to slide
quietly along to-day while Far Eastern
questions were discussed.