The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-20
NAVAL CUTTING
HALTED WHILE
JAPAN PARLEYS
Plea of Discrimination
Would Save Scrapping
Of Five New Ships.

Japanese objections to acceptance
of the co per cent limit placed on her
present naval strength today was
:he only obstacle in the way OF an
agreement On the cardinal feature
of the Hughes naval disarmament
proposal.
The British have accepted. They
will not debate the question of new
capital ships
The American fivures on this par
ticular proposal have been fully
analyzed and accepted
Japan is not satisfied. She posi-
lively and in opet conference ac-
cepted the general principles OF the
Hughes proposals But she later
/ insisted. when the detailed program
was taken up in the council OF
admirals." that there was an appar-
ent discrimination against her in the
ratio proposed for the navies Of the
three nations most vitally interested
/ in the naval race. Japan asked
/ that she be allowed to retain the
| kega, launched yesterday and the
Mutsu, just commissioned.
Until the japanese delegation
wtthdraws this demand there is no
chance of any material progress be-
ing made in the settlement Of the
naval program. The capital shin
proposals set forth by Secretary OF
State Hughes in opening the con.
/ ference are the CruX OF the naval
program.
Other Matters Subordinate.
All other matters. including the
submarine issue. really are subor.
dinate. They can he decided on by
the naval experts of the five great
powers. But the success or the fail
ure of the present conference hinges
absolutely on the capital ship pro-
gram. And it is Japan that must
decide, the other nations repre-
sented here having indorsed the
Hughes scrapping plan.
The entire proposition was un.
| derstood to have furnished tn,
chief topic of a conference in Sec.
retary Hughes private office late
yesterday afternoon. Mr. Hughes
Arthur J. Balfour. chief of IN,
| British delegation ana Baron Ad.
miral Kato. Japan's minister OF
marine. participated Comfortable
easy chairs were drawn up around
] NhS Eicdi nat topped DESK of thf
Secretary and the Big Time
talked with ,the utmost frankness
At the close of the meeting IL wa,
stated that there would be no off,
cial statement regarding the sub.
iects discussed. However, ther,
was a belief in 1apanSse circle,
that as result of the .Nank ex.
change of views Japan very shortl,
will announce tina; she agrees tC
the Hughes naval program. OF
course the feeling of the japanese
people has very much to do will
the attitude o. the delegation here
Cabled advices from Toxic declared
That the entire nation had beer
stirred by th- celebration that fol.
| lowed the launching Of the grea'
superdreadnaught Kaga at the Kobe
dockyards, sister ship of the Mutsu
commissioned and also on tn,
Hughes scrap list" There /,
united pride in these vessels ant
a concerted demand that they b,
not scrapped under the Hughe,
plan.
Baron Kato is assumed to hav,
made this very plain to both Mr.
Hughes and Mr. Balfour in a yer,
elonuent manner. However IN,
American position was not posi-.
1 lively taken until this as well a,
many other factors had bee1 takeI
into consideration, and the argu
ments OF the admiral are not be
| :.