The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-27
AND FRENCH GROUPS
CONTINUE TO OBJECT TO THE
AMERICAN SUBMARINE PLAN
Americans and British Feel That
They Have Made Maximum
Concession in the Inter
est of Agreement.
(Ry The AssoeIated Pressl


conference naval committee, which
faces a perplexing situation in its ef-
forts to agree on limitation of subma-
zine strength, tonight postponed it's
next meeting until wednesday so that
the French, and possibly also the Japa-
nese, might receive from home Off
cials more definite instructions re-
garding the compromise proposal 60
the American government.
All indications here, however, point
ed to continued objection to the Amer
ican plan by both the japanese and the
French groups. At the same time the
Americans and British appeared to
feel that in offering to scale down
their submarine fleets to 10000 tons
each, they had made maximum in
the interest Of an agreement.
In these circumstances, more defi-
mite shape was assumed by the move
ment for a latter conference, to be at
ended by larger number of nations,
for another examination of the whole
Submarine problem, ana for a future
meeting 0 fthe great powers TO assess
the general possibilities of further
armament limitations. There were in
dieations that the plan for a world
submarine conference would be put
into concrete form very quickly. The
proposed new conference OF the pow
ers on the general subject of arma-
ments probably would be held in 1929
or 1929, and provision for il would be
made IN the treaty that is to embody
the decisions of the present meeting.
Postponement of the naval commit
tee meeting from tomorrow to We'd
nesday is understood to have resulted
fr9n a request from the Franch dele
sates, WHO have not sSst heard the
formal verdict Of their home govern
ment on the American plan to rix
American and British submarine
strength at 10000 tons and to make a
status quo arrangement for France.
Italy and Japan. The impression
among the members of the French del
egation tonight was that the plan
would be wholly unsatisfactory to
Paris. A submarine tonnage o.. 90. 900
has been suggested for France BY her
naval experts, and under the American
proposal she would have only about
$1,000
The japanese maintained silence as
to their future course in the negotia-
tions, but there was no evidence that
they intended to recede from their flat
refusal TO accept the American COM
promise. THE japanese delegates have
told the conference they. consider 54.-
600 tons of submersibles necessary to
their national security in place Of the
$1,000 allotted them in the compromise
arrangement. In some quarters. how
ever, it is hoped that further advices
from Toxic may soften somewhwat
their position.
Should the American plan fail to
bring the peers together, it is suggest
ed by some of those connected with
the conference that consideration may
be given to proposal for a general
building holiday in submarines, under
an agreement that all five Of the pow
ers would leave their submersibIe
strength distributed as at present in
The various sea areas.
Under this suggestion which has so
far received no formal endorsement
from any fthe delegations, the United
states, Great Britain. Japan, Italy and
France all would undertake to main
tain exactly the tonnage of stl5na-
rines they now have stationed in the
respective regions of the Atlantic, the
Pacific, the Mediterranean and the
Adriatic
The proposal to write into the naval
limitation treaty an agreement for re-
assembling the conference of the pow
ers, probably seven years hence. has
begun to take more definite form over
the Christmas recess. An informal ex-
change Of views among the American.
British and French delegatea has de-
veloped feeling that by that time it
may be possible to work out an ex-
tension of the naval holiday in the
light Of seven year test Of the agree
ment which made it possible. In any
event. it has been said, there will be
details to work out of the program
that Is to replace the ten-year fleet
status with actual application of the
S5-3 capital ship ratio
H alsa appeared more or5Babte To-
nish- that some aefnita zsep toward
wofia ccuterenee al sunfnarinas.
aoly e BE held within tnree years
er she Washington conference ends
aaers would be taAen within the
a2t dv Two Exacsly what form
& Tu take IS II do5h4 PENDING final
action here on submarines and it is
certain that the American delegation
exhaust every effort to bring
about an agreement as to submarine
tonnage which win result in actual ne
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