New-York tribune., 1921-11-08
Other. Powers Favor Be.
ginning Disarming by
Pruning Building Pro-
grams Now Authorized
Toxic Reluctant to
Halt Construction
Exaggerated Popular Idea
of Saving i'm Arms Re-
duction Is Deprecated
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Nov. IA large ma
jority of the delegates to the arma-
ment limitation conference are in favor
of cancelling most, if not all, of the
naval building programs which the
various nations have undertaken. This
applies, of course, to ships which exist
only on paper and whose keels have
not been laid.
Certainly canvass Of the situation
discloses the British and American
delegations are strongly in favor of
that, while the expressions so far OBJ
tanned from the Italians and French in
dicate the same thought, despite the
fact that Italy and France have def
nitely declared themselves out of the
naval armament race.
Only the Japanese have been insist
ing on going through with their naval
building program. This is the much
discussed ight-and-eight" plan, pro-
viding for eight new dreadnoughts and
eight new battle cruisers by 1928. That
program, many naval experts believe,
would give Japan navy actually
stronger than that of the United States
not in tonnage necessarily. but in
real fighting abb itv.
News Item Causes Discussion
There was much discussion Of this
phase of the situation tonight as the
result of what purported to be an in
spired statement in the afternoon pa
pers here that the phrase "limitation of
armament" would not include the pro-
grams already authorized. This was
vigorously denied in authoritative quar-
ters, the truth apparently being that
the other nations at the conference
will be entirely willing to curtail the
programs they already have approved,
but not begun work upon, provided Ja-
eight program.
All of which discussion, Of course, is
subject to the fundamental fact that
there will be no possibility of a real
agreement on armament limitation un-
less the Pacific and Far Eastern ques-
tions are adjusted. If those contro-
vcrsies, containing as they do the most
vlrile seeds of war, are not removed the
conference will have been a failure
and nothing will be accomplished tow
ard reduction of the armament bur-
dens. II there is any change the bur-
dens will be increased.
Relief Far in Future
But there would be no relief from
taxation to support ornaments for
scme years to come if all programs
already approved should be permitted
to be carried out Assuming that the
Japanese program Of eight and eight
leading up to 1923 should he agreed
upon as all right, it is inconceivable,
according to British and American
n nff tLo% p,;+
United States should not at the same
time sketch out programs which they
should complete in the mean time so
as to maintain the present relative
strength.
Even if the Japanese should agree
to modify their program and bring it
down to fair proportion with the
present American program, there would
be no saving of money to the Ameri-
can taxpayers or those of any other
country involved for several years.
There will be no saving to the
American taxpayers, obviously enough,
unless the American program is modi-
fled, unless the distinction is made
that by an agreement not to increase
programs already approved a saving
several years hence will be effected.
Public Disappointment Feared
AS matter of cold fact, the Ameri
can delegates and those of Great Brit
ain are considerably disturbed over the
great expectations as to tax saving
which the advance publicity about the
Conference on the Limitation of Arma-
ment has aroused. Every newspaper
in America and throughout the British
Empire, it is pointed out, has been
emphasizing as one of the great things
to be done by this conference is the
cutting down of armament costs and
consequently the reduction of taxation.
What causes the delegates worry is
that they think the publicity has been
too optimistic along this money-saving
line. especially as some Of the pacifist
organizations have been putting out
statements indicating that almost nine
tenths of this governments expendi-
lures were for wars, present, past and
future.
Although this was denounced as a
gross exaggeration at the time. it is
evident from the mail which is pour
ing in on Congress from all over the
country that the idea has taken strong
hold that perhaps from 60 to so per
cent of the taxes can be Topped off if
this armament limitation conference
should be big success.
Examination of the appropriations
made by Congress for the present tis-
Continued on page cIght>