Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-18
news BRINGS
]. new HOPEF0R
NAVY HOLIDAY
Shantung Controversy Is
Near Successful
Settlement

Washington, D. c., Dec. 17.-tBy Ths
Associated Press)-Conference develop
| ments took a new and hopeful turn to-
night when 1t became known that the
French ten ship building plan was
submitted without the approval Of tha
Paris government and that direct con-
versations between China and Japan
had brought the Shantung contro-
versy near settlement. Naval subcom-
n,ittee action toward a hve-poweE
pact on naval Limitation awaits an
| answer from Premier BRAND Oh both
the ten-ship project submitted by
French delegates here and upon the
Joint counter proposal -concurred. in by
Great Britain. the United States, Japan
and Italy, accept capital ship
strength OF 175,o0Oi tons as. compared
to her present $4,000 tons in dread
naughts. -. sH94
A three hour session of the subcom-
nittee today was largely taken up by
Albert Sarraut, head OF tho French
delegation. in presenting views OF
French naval experts now here. Secre-
tary Hughes made r. brief reply tend
Ing to stimulate good feeling among
the committee members. The official
communique however. would admit
nothing beyond tho facts that the
committee, met. talked. adjourned and
would meet again. Settlement OF the
Shantung problem. apparently depends
on satisfactory arrangement OF a few
details involved In Japancse return OF
the Using Tao Tsins nfu railroad In the
Ktao-Chow leasehold. .,si -
Further Instructions were received
today by tho. Japanese delegates and
altho their exact nature was not dis
closed there was evident tonight among
both Japanese and Chinese 4 feeling
that nnal Agreement waa only n
Question OF hours. As to the French
ton capital ships which stunned con
ference circles when they nrst bccam
| known yesterday II was learned that
they .w'erc framed here by direction
OF Admiral De Bon chief French naval
expert, under his authority from tho
delegation to present the views of the
French naval general staff. +l
Premier. BRAND and. former Premier
Viviani both had lott before tho pro-
posals were framed. The Paris gov
| OF tho situation. II was evident tonight
| that tho 10000 ton capital ship lImita-
tion for France was proposed by tho
American delegation originally. rtaly's
| spokesman in the subcommittee SEN
ator Schanzer. replied that Italy ac-
| cepted tho American point of view as
| TO tonnage and would be satisfied with
$4,000 tons if France accepted that
| figure.
Tho position of the, italian deieys-
tIon. as It is understood to have bean
developed is that Italy had two princt-
pies to maintain in thu naval ratio dis
cussion; ono that, the Italian navy
should be on an equality with that OF
any other power In the Mediterranean
md two. that the italian ratio should
he as low as possible for 1taIy's pure
ly defensive purposes ftaly's- agree
ment to tho American $4,000 ton ratio.
conditioned only on acceptance OF that
ratio by France. followed.
knowledge that tho French ton ship
building plan. which up to tonisht
had seemed n stumbling block, was
merely tho suggestion OF tho Frencl,
desirable for France. put newQface
on tho deliberations. Tho action OF tho
| French experts In outlining their views
| was not only IL ts understood. author
lied by tho French delegation as q
| means TO bring about n full discussion
| sion OF tho general problem of the
| naval relatvitics but IL was so SUP
| ported by conference precedent. The
| only written presentation of Jspan's
| first claim to n naval ratio of 20 p.r
cen, az compared to the American feet
| so far as known was made by jap
| aresc exports In tho original commit
| too Of experts. abandoned later for
| the naval committee of nfteor
Another similarity ia that tho Jan
anese 20 per cent ratio proposal con-
templatod determtnatio Of National
security needs to Ak Limitation az
does the French naval expert ten ship
| suggestion.
Japan later accepted fully the Amer.
| lean view that existing naval strength
was tho only practical basis of An
proach 10 a limitation pgrecmen,
The 1-s-S" ratio plan rspre-~nt,
| that system Of calculation.
The American iI5.ooo ton nlsr FOR
| France. and presumably italy also
| undoubtedly represents the esme sy.-
tom Of existing strength calculation.
There is not available however n do
tailed ANALYSIS for ship scrsptinS IN
the French and Italian cases sis,,.,
the tonnage allowance represent,
| more than either power now has pro