Evening star., 1921-12-27
SUBMARINE ISSUE
HELDV|TAL To REAL.
ARMS AGREEMENT
DELEGATES Favor Reaching
Some Decision Now, Not at
Future Meeting.
AUXILIARY SHIP POINT
BOUND up IN RESULT
Spirit of Compromise in Conference
Indicates Accord Will Be
Reached.
BY G.. GOi LID kihGOLN.

ia Is. Ssoa
The ponelutnt-$ueseSted in
some uuarters-of the submarine Ton
mage question to some future meeting
OF the nations would, in all prooaoi-
i.y take with ii the postponement OF
Questions relating to the tonnage OF
ether auxiliary vessels. ii was SAID TO-
CAV in aims conference circles.
Although the capital ship tonnage
Of the five powers here has been
agreed to and the plan for ten-year
naval building holiday has been ac-
cepted in principle. the Washington
conference would not be a success.
from the standpoint of some of the
nations attending, if the whole matter
OF auxiliary craft. including subma-
rines. is to be put aside Tor future
cunside ration. THIS is The View. for
instance of the Italian delegation
which has come here particularly IN
In" hope of reaching some agreement
to the limitation of armaments.
SOLUTION Not ShcIvcd.
1t may be said. therefore, with con-
siderable emphasis. that the solution
of the submarine question and the
other auNiliaries has not been shelved
up to the present time. The very fact
that there has been talk of abandon
ing this issue is bringing reaction in
its wake. 1t is not believed that the
nations assembled here will permit
the mere question of submarines to
cause a break in the progress of the
Washington conference.
Today the French delegation is still
awaiting instructions from Premier
BRAND i'll Paris. The meeting of the
I:1t
which was To have been held today
was postponed until tomorrow.
The committee, 1t was pointed out
today. has so far considered no modi-
fication of the latest plan for tHe
limitation of submarine tonnage sub
mitted by Secretary Hughes last Sat
urday. There is nothing int1eXlble in
the suggestion put forward. Com
promise plans may be suggested, ana
it is likely will be suggested.
French Reply Forthcoming.
The French. it VIII be remembered.
made no reply to the Hughes proposal
on Saturday. but NJ. Sarraut content
ed himself with saying that he would
communicate with Paris in regard to
the matter.
While it is well understood that the
French have been prepared to ask
considerable submarine tonnage. their
final word has not been said. At the
time the French demanded ten new
battleships of $4,000 tons each. to be
constructed in a period of fifteen
years. there was the same prognoStl-
cation that the Washington confer
ence had reached an impaSse. But
this did not prove to be the case.
Spirit of Compromise.
There has been found in the con-
ference it was pointed out today, a
;,-;t of 81
to bring about agreements. 1t is not
believed that the desire to conclude
the tasks undertaken has lessened
now.
The Japanese. who for several
weeks were unwilling to accept the
s-5-3 ratio proposed by the United
States for the naval armament of
this country, Great Britain and Japan.
but who finally accepted the plan
with some modifica tions. are now in
the position of demanding minimum
submarine tonnage of $4,000. 1t may
be said, however that a feeling ex-
lists in some Japanese quarters that
the present difficulty will be ad-
justed.
The last proposal of Secretary
Hughes, which places the submarine
tonnage of the United States and
Great Britain at $4,000 and would
provide for the status quo of subma-
rine tonnage SO far as France. Japan
and Italy are concerned, does not give
the japanese quite the 5-5-3 ratio
which they had previously agreed TO
in regard to the capital ships and
which they would have under the
10000 tons originally proposed for
the United States and Great Britain
and "a 900 for Japan.
The Hughes proposal of Saturday.
it was suggested today. might be
modified so as to give the japanese
5-5-3 ratio. which would bring the
Japanese tonnage up TO $4,000 OF
more.
one suggestion. which has been for
postponement of the submarine
question. which. in effect. would pro-
vide for the retention of the status
QUO of submarine tonnage for all pow
erS until another conference on sub
marines could be called. does not meet
with the approval of the Italians. it
was learned today. This would leave
the Italians with only 21,060 tons of
submarines, and France with some
$1,000 tons. while Italy is demand
ing parity with France in ma
val matters. and that principle has
been accepted by the conference, say
the Italians.
Military Advisers Leaving.
The alternative plan for postpone
ment of the submarine issue would
he to leave to the powers to build such
submarines and auxiliary craft as
they desired until another conference
could be brought about.
This. in the view OF the Italians.
would be depiorable. They point out
that they came to the Washington con-
ference with the hope Of something
being done to limit land armaments
This has been abandoned. The Italian
military advisers left Washington to-
day, and the British will leave Decem-
Der IL. The French have already gone
IE the matter of capital ship ton
mage. the Italians are in the position
of he!ng called uron to build still more
ships IN order to have the parity with
France they demand. under the agree
ment already reached. Now, they hear
the question o. auxiliary craft may be
left open, with competition to continue
This does not appeal to the Italians.
FIRM ON AUXILIARY CRAFT