Norwich bulletin., 1921-12-22
France is to Present
 Naval Plans To-day
Great Britain May Present
 Plea For Total Abolition
 of Submarine. |

Washington. Dec. q (By the A. P0.- The formal negotiations of the arms con- | ference were at a standstill today, but groups of delegates continued personal consultations which appeared to strengthen the general confidence of an early solution of all the peints remaining at issue
 France is to present sfer estimates for auxiliary vessels at tomo1.row's meeting of the naval committee, and although she is expected to ask for a submarine and cruiser strength out of proportion to the capital ship ratio fixed for her. no one appears to regard the prospect of ad- iusting her claims as difficult one. It is not understood to be regarded as es- sential by conference leaders that the capital ship ratios be applied rigidly down the line through the various classes of smaller vessels.
 The Japanese. who are awaiting for further instructions from Tokio regarding the terms of withdrawal from the Tsing- tao-Tsnanfu railroad, expressed the opin- ion that the temporary halt in formal exchanges wit hthe Chinese did not con- stitute a serious deadlock The Chinese seemed inclined to fear that the Shantung discussions had encountered 8 serious obstacle
 The difference in view revealed yester- day between President Harding and mem- bers of the American delegation relating to the application of the four power Pacific treaty to the principal islands of the Japanese empire, furnished the chief | topic of personal conversation among | many of the foreign plenipoetntiaries who privately expressed themselves as unable to understand how such a situa- 1 tion had developed.
 No further explanation was forthcom- l ing from the White House or from mem 1 bers of the American group in the con- 1 ference but it was declared in state de- 1 partment circles that there existed no 1 question of the attitude of the American | government. The interpretation of the | American delegation, it was said. holding 1 that the treaty does apply to the major 1 Japanese islands, stood as the offic;a. | American view. The treaty's opponents i in the senat etook advantage of the lull i in conference developments to launch
 another attack which centered about yes terdays White House statement. Senator | Reed, democrat Missouri, declared in a senate speech that the difference of view l between the president and the American plenipotentiaTies was new proof that the i treaty had been drafted "so as to de- i ceive." The whole incident, he asserted 1 betrayed policy of twisting and turn l ing cloaked behind curtain of secret diplomacy.
 At tomorrow's meeting of the full nava
 committee there may also be a pTesenta-
 tion of Great Britain's plea for total abo. lition of the submarine.
 The delegates of Great Britain, al | though apparently not intending to press l their request to the point of greatly pro
 longing the conference. have prepared tc
 make a stubborn fight at least for a grea
 reduction in the submarine strength nov
 under consideration and have cancelled
 their plans for leaving the United State
 on Dec. 31. They now expect to depar
 about the middle of January.
 The French have not revealed wha
 submarine tonnage they will request bu
 it is known that figures running as higl
 as 90000 tons have been under considera
 tion by members of the delegation. Tha 1 would be more than double the presen 1 strength of the French submarine fleet
 and so high that there seems little doub
 it would meet with determined opposi
 tion. It has been hinted that in any fina settlement of the auxiliary question
 large submarine tonnage for Franc
 might be balanced off by a large cruise
 and destroyer, tonnage for Great Britain because she is the nation who admittedl , has most to fear from any use of sub , marines as offensive weapons
 Although not holding membership O the naval committee. the delegation C The Netherlands have communicated it views on the submarine question to cor | ference officials and they have been ir formally under consideration. It l pointed out that before the final decisio
 is ratified the representatives of tn | smaller powerse all will have an oppo1 tunity to express their views in plenar ? | session.
 In discussions of the four-power treat 3 the American delegates are said to talk r | the view that the language of the pact
 | clearly includes the major Japanese is
 ands that no reservations on the subje e will be necessary whe nthe question
 l ratification is formally under consider;
 1 tion by the senate. Inclusion of the. { | islands contrary to the interpretatio1s T | President Harding is declared by tt r delegates to be embraced beyond dispu k by the words "insular dominions." . When the treaty comes before u f senate Senttors Lodge and UnderwoC l. as members of the delegation are plal n ming to explain the circumstances und. A which the term ''insular dominions" W; = selected and the understanding reacht = by all the plenipotentiaries as to meaning. It is said they are prepared q tell in detail of the part of the America l. delegation in urging that the word cd 1T minions' be included so that the Urea
 would apply definitely not only to Hawa s Australia and New Zealand but to u
 Japanese 'homeland' as we'll
 D. In the original draft of the treaty a
 plication is said to have been limited V "lnsular possessions" In the discussi r. which brought about the change t Il i Americans and British are understood 10 have stood together in insisting that t
 broader scope be given the new agre
 ment