Omaha daily bee., 1921-11-19
America m
To Oppose
Jap Stand
United States Prepared to
Stand Pat on Amount Of
Tonnage Allotted in
Hughes Plan.
Against "Half Holiday" :"
By ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicaro Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire,

By ARTHUR SEARS HENNING
Chicago Tribune-Omaha Bee Leased Wire
Washington, Nov. l8.-Presiden
Harding's long contemplated associa,
ton OF nations TO preserve worlt
peace was shadowed forth today. ii
the course OF momentous revelations
OF the policy the administration will
pursue in the effort TO achieve rca
naval holiday and new deal in the
far east.
Here arc the high points in the
disclosures:
!. The United States will oppose
with vigor. the endeavor of Japan to
obtain greater proportion OF capt.
tai ships tonnage than proposed in
the Hughes plan, which is 60 per
cent OF the tonnage OF either Great
Britain or America. and more than
Japan's present strength.
2. The American government
stands flat footed on the proposition
that the world demands an end TO
competitive naval building; that the
only way to end it is to stop" and
that any effort by the powers con-
cerned to disturb the relation OF
fighting ships laid down liz the
American proposal would constitute
at once 4 reopening OF competitive
building.
Oppose "Half Holiday.
3. The American delegation also
will oppose any modification which
would permit construction of one
capital ship a year or any other re-
placement plan which would make
the naval holiday "only half holi-
day."
4. The administration is prepared
to enter into an agreement with the
other powers to halt encroachments
upon China and otherwise stabilize
the peace of the far east-such an
agreement as the British and jap
anese have pressed as substitute
for the Anglo-Japanese alliance,
which then would be dissolved.
5. When an agreement on the re-
duction and limitation of naval arma-
mcnts is reached by the powers rep
resented in this conference, all other
countries will be invited to subscribe
to it as world charter Of peace, pro-
claimed by an association OF nations
dedicated to the adoption of practical
means to minimize war.
No Treaties Contemplated.
g No formal treaties requiring
the consent of the senate are con-
templated, the purpose being to
achieve the object in each case by
an exchange of diplomatic notes,
though executive orders and perhaps
some legislation would be required
to carry out the naval holiday and
scrapping of ships on the part of the
United States.
Secretary of State Hughes made
full reports at the cabinet meeting
this afternoon, of the progress of the
negotiations. 1t was the general
opinion Of the president and his Off
c;al advisers that the prospects of
success of the conference could not
be better. Certain it is that the spirit
manifested by the members of the
American delegation could not be
better.
The movement is in the direction
of an understanding less formal than
treaty, ratification of which would
be necessary by the senate. In the
case OF an exchange OF notes on the
far east, the understanding would
lack the full binding force of treaty,
but the administration and other ma
tions would be spared the uncertain
ties of senate action, upon which
rock Mr.. Wilson came to grief.
No Difficulty Expected.
Mr.. Harding assumes that there
would be no difficulty in obtaining
from congress the legislation neces-
sary to carry out the naval holiday,
though he has the authority to order
the scrapping of ships at any time
upon recommendation of the NAVY
department.
The contention advanced by the
Hearst papers that the Hughes plan
would deprive congress of control
OF the navy and is therefore uncon-
stitutional is pronounced by the
White House as not worthy OF seri-
Gus consideration.
That the president still has in
mind the association OF nations for
consultation on measures to pre-
serve world peace has been disclosed
by Mr.. Harding. in discussing with
American officials and foreign en-
voys, the results he hopes the con-
ference will achieve, worldwide
agreement to limit first navies and
eventually armies.
The position OF the American dele
CATION was thus set forth:
he great evil which we want to
eradicate is competition in arma-
ments. There can be no solution
OF the problem confronting the ma
tons in this respect unless they deal
orastically with competition.
Two Leading Motives.
The American plan is based on
hating competitive navies. Two al
ternatives were clear 20 the trainers
OF the American plan from the out
set One was that competition must
go on. The other was that compe-
tition be stopped and that naval arm
aments be limited on a basis of ex-
isting naval strength of the powers.
We could not see how we could
do otherwise than 10 allow the three
naval powers their present strength.
1t would not have been equitable
to reduce the strength of one and
not OF another. II would not have