New-York tribune., 1921-11-24
Unexpected Demand Is
Regarded as Menace to
Naval Holiday; Italy
Also Wants Bigger Fleet
British Delegates
Refuse to Consent
Smoldering Antagonism
Reawakened; U. S. Seeks
to Modify Brands View
BY Carter ield


mier BRAND to-day assured the Con-
ference for the Limitation of Arma-
nent, in a farewell address to a
group Of the delegates, that France
would curtail the period of service
Of each French soldier, thus materi-
ally reducing the size of the French
army. Immediately before this talk
he took final action in pigeonholing
the question of land armament limi-
tation.
Meanwhile, however, there is great
agitation among the British and
concern in the other delegations over
the desire Of the French to be grant
ed ratio of naval strength equal to
that of Japan. Taken in conjunction
with the desire of the Italians for a
navy equal to that Of any Mediterra-
mean power, or, in short, equal to
that of France, the move is regard
ed in both British and American
quarters as considerable menace to
the naval holiday idea.
Japan Previously Chief Obstacle
The Americans have concentrated
most of their fire, as have the British,
on the desire of the Japanese to retain
the battleship Mutsu, which would so
disturb the ratio laid down by Chair
man Hughes as the American plan that
it would result in the United Statcs
completing and retaining the Colorado.
with perhaps the Washington. and the
British building one or two of the new
Hoods which are authorized but which
have not had their keels laid.
All of which is of more concern here
in Washington tonight than the dis
cussions over China, which, now that
the general principles have been laid
down, are becoming highly involved
and technical. The question of the
consortium, for instance, which was
discussed at length to-day, is really a
question of which country's bankers
shall control the development of new
China. or whether groups of bankers
in each country, approved by the gov
ernments of those countries, shall de-
velop the concessions jointly.
China is terribly opposed to the con-
sortlum idea, but apparently every ore
else is convinced that this is the way
to bring order out of chaos in the
Celestial Empire and at the same time
prevent any one country from obtain
ing too much political, as well as
financial, domination.
Program Regarded as Fixed
Then on the reference TO committees
of such questions as airplanes and
how they are to be used, poison gases
and appropriate rules for the conduct
of war" the interest is more or less
perfunctory. The truth is that all the
delegates have already made up their
minds pretty we'll that this conference
is going to do two big things The
first of these is real limitation oe
naval armaments, with the big. expen-
sive ship recognized as the unit for
limitation. The second is an agree
ment on all the Pacific and Far East
ern questions, which will be eminentlv
practical in that it will remove all
possibility of war between Japan and
the United States growing out . ose
disputes, but which may be far from
IDEAL II viewed purely from the inter
ests, for example, of the Chinese.
Inc Chinese, in the opinion of the
N~tN SotCo " All luC OLueF countries.
VIII benefit from whatever may be the
final outcome of these decisions or
Pacific and Far Eastern questions, but
there is also no doubt that they would
draft the decisions very differently jf
they had the opportunity OF writing
them themselves.
The French naval aspirations are
looked upon as of tremendous impor-
tance because they are regarded as
th raat1nipcr 3fa b01e
naval armament limitation plan laid
down by Mr.. Fughes. At the time of
the writing of the American plan; as
a matter of fact, no thought was given
to the French navy, nor to the Italian
navy.
New Complication Unexpected
France and Italy were invited to the
Conference on the Limitation of Ar
mament for two reasons. One was that
they, with Great Britain, the United
States and Japan, constituted tho five
principal Allied and associated pow
ers' of the World War and of the SUI
preme Council. TIE second was that
France and Italy wee regarded as
great military nations. even though
their navies had dropped back out uf
the arm lament race
But the American plan for limiting
the nayies was applied only to the
three most important naval powers
Great Britain. the United States and
Japan. When the French and Italian
delegations arrived in Washington they
began talking of navies and of con-
troll of the Mediterranean. This wns
regarded with only mild interest. ne
first, some of the American writers re-.
ferring to this contest as the sminor
ieague' naval armament race.
Now, however, it is rather definitely
,ft1 rayc troE ffae%
soon as they are able financially to be-
gin the construction of fleet equal 10
that of Japan. The Italians make rio
reference to Japan, but they make Ii
very clear that they expect to havs
navy equal to that of France.
British Delegates Shocked
America probably would not be coe-
cerned about this We're it not for the
attitude on the subjea of the Brit,sh
delegation. The British ars very much