The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-04
Great Britain willing to Start
Farley November 18th.
Hughes and Ambassadors to
Work Out Program.
NAVY CUT WON'T HURT BRITISH
VIII Enter Conference With
Worlds Greatest Navy.
''PrOpOrtiOnate Reduction" Will
Be Their Main Plea.

Washington, Aug. The as
sembling of the disarmament and Far
East conference in Washington on
Armistice day, November IL, the date
first suggested by President Hard
ing and later officially proposed to
the world powers, became a virtually
assured thing today when Great Bri-
tain notified the United States that
any date agreeable to Washington is
agreeable to London.
Nothing has been heard officially
from the other powers concerned
Japan, France and Italy, concerning
the acceptance of the November date,
but officials of the state department
were optimistic today that November
II would prove agreeable to them
also.
Work On Program.
While the United States government
would like to see the conference as
semble November II, there is no dis
position to be arbitrary about it, Of
ficials said today and if later the
Armistice day date is found insult
able, this government will interpose
no objections to its being postponed
until a later time. This, however, is
not anticipated.
1t is entirely possible the complete
program for the conference can be
worked out here in Washington be-
tween Secretary of State Hughes and
the ambassadors Of the countries in
volved. Discussions of the agenda
are now in progress here today and
they have progressed most favorably,
it was stated.
Great Britain. Is Safe.
Great Britain has no intention of re-
linquishing her position as mistress of
the seas at the forthcoming Washing
ton disarmament conference.
This is the interpretation placed
today in high naval quarters here on
the action of the British admiralty
and house of commons in voting to go
ahead with the immediate construc-
ton of four new powerful battleships.
The acquisition OF these great
dreadno1 ghts will allow Great Britain
to retain her naval supremacy which
was seriously endangered by the
American and Japanese building pro-
grams.
Should England have stood still in
naval building and America and Japan
completed their present programs, the
three greatest naval powers in the
world would have gathered around
the conference table in Washington
on nearly an even footing.
Slash Cannot Hurt.
AS it is, Great Britain will enter the
conference with the greatest navy in
the world and then fight for ''propor-
tionate reduction" which, if adopted,
will permit her to emerge from the
conference still the worlds leading
naval power.
The attitude of the United States
toward this plan of reduction has not
been made clear, nor has that of Ja-
pan.
In proposing the laying down of the
four new vessels, the British admir-
atty discloses there will be no "scrap-
ping" of first class ships. The scrap
ping, if there is to be any, will be con-
fined to older vesse1s-vessels which
have served their time on the seas of
the world.
There is no thought, the admiralty
secretary said, that the powers con-
cerned would decree the junking OF
ships already built and building. This
was taken as indicating today that the
conference will concern itself more
with limiting future operations than
with endeavoring to reduce or de-
crease the size of the navies now ex-
iSfPnf