Evening star., 1921-11-17
Conference FEELS
OPINION Of PUBLIC
Reaction to Force of Will of
People Developing, as
Was Predicted.
BALFOUR'S PLAN SCORED
Delegates Responsible for Real Set
ting of Position and
Not Experts.
BALFOUR'S PLAN SCORED
by G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Not Experts.
ny G. GOULD LINCOLN.
The conference on limitation of
ornaments already is reactinE to the
force of public opinion AS it was
confidently predicted would be the
case by advocates of the fullest pos
sible publicity regarding the pro-
posals advanced at the conference.
Secretary Hughes. by his bold and
unexpected statement OF the United
naval armament on the opening day
OF the conference, captured the i'm
agination of the public the world
over The great underlying principle
involved in that program was the ten
year naval building holiday.
Bnlfour's Suggestion Criticised.
Suggestions. emanating. it is said,
from British naval experts. that in
stead Of banning all building for a
period OF ten years, q certain amount
of replacement work should be done
for the navies of the United States,
Great Britain and Japan during the
ten-year period, instead Of waiting
until the end Of ten years before be-
ginning the replacement of obsolete
British public, as we'll as from the
public in this country and elsewhere.
How is it possible to have a naval
building holiday and at the same
time continue to build one ship Il
year. as the British suggestion has
been Interpreted, even though these
vessels be intended to replace vessels
Scrappd from time to time during the
ten-year period and resulted In no
increase in the naval tonnage of the
powers? The proposal Of the United
States is that all naval building
other than repairs of the vessels re-
tained-cease To deviate from this
plan. it is said, would be to destroy
utterly the effect of the announce
ment to the world of naval building
holiday.
Delegates to Settle Position.
In this connection it may be said
that the British principal delegates.
the position which is to be taken on
this subject. though naturally the
British delegates will give heed to
the advice of their technical men.
Questions of policy will be settled by
the main conferees. and not by the
naval experts. 1t is shown that Ar
thur J. Balfour, head of the British
delegation. has pronounced ideas as
to whether naval building holiday
can exist in reality when one. two or
any number of ships is being laid
down during the term of the holiday,
holiday can be held to exist while the
building of naval vessels continues.
In Mr.. Balfour's speech before the
conference. accepting the United
States proposal regarding Limitation
of naval armament. the only remark
ments came Immediately following
his suggestion that submarine ton
mage be reduced and the size of sub
marines be limited, and was as fol-
lows:
'However. there may be other ques-
with replacement. questions con-
nected with cruisers which are not
connected with or required for feet
action"
Impression Gained Ground.
Yet the impression gained ground
in England and elsewhere that Mr..
Balfour had advocated the permit
ting of the building of naval YES
sells during the ten-year holiday pc
riod.
1t is known. too. that members of
the American advisory committee
would strongly oppose any yielding in
regard to the plan for an absolute
holiday of navy building. The argu-
ments advanced for replacement
building continuing during the ten
year period are not considered suf-
ficient to offset the value of com
plete cessation of building. 1t is
pointed out that there will be a con-
siderable amount of repair work to
be accomplished during the holiday
period, which will give work to ex-
pert naval constructors and builders.
and that the yards which construct
merchant vessels will continue in
full blast. and that the latter can
without grea. difficulty turn to the
construction OF naval vessels at the
end of the holiday period, IL neces-
sary.
OutkiGe Work Opposed.
A further suggestion that the ma
tiOns in agreement be permitted to
build naval vessels for the account
of other nations not included in the
proposed agreement, during the ten
year period. also meets with disap-
proval here. 1t is recalled that in
previous wars vessels 80 constructed
have been called back into the serv-
ice Of the country whore they were
constructed. Also, it 10 not deemed
wise to make the navy shipbuilding
yards of the powers in the agree
ment compete for the work Of con-
tions.
The proposal Of Mr.. Balfour, on
the other hand. that the size of sub
marines be limited, so as to prevent
the building of the undersea boat ca
pable of cruising thousands of miles,
has struck a note of popular ap-
proval. which may be expected to
have its influence on the conference.
The reaction Of the public to the
proposals made by China with regard
to the problems of that country-the
key of the far eastern problems-is
awaited with considerable interest.
The Chinese proposals. take them by
and large. are to the effect that other
powers remove themselves from
China, where they have been for
many years, and allow the Chinese to
conduct their own affairs. though al
lowing fully for the "open door
policy. That the proposal will receive
the Endorsement of the great majority
of Americans, was the opinion ex-
pressed today. But what the peoples
of the countries having spheres of in
fluence and great concessions in
China will thinF is another matter.
1t is encouraging to note. however,
that the delegtions to the confer
ence are expressing the belief that
many of the proposals of China can
be agreed to, and that the entire pro-
gram may be taken as basis for
discussion and consideration.
No Definite U. 8. Program.
While the United States delegation
has it's ideas regarding the far east
problems. the opinion was ventured