The New York herald., 1921-12-01
America and Britain Say
Alternative Is Unlimited
Competition.
FINAL ACCEPTANCE SEEN
Pessimists Have Field Day,
but Official Statements
Are Optimistic.
BY LOUIS sEIBOLD.

BY LOUIS SEIBOLD.
Special Dcspatch to THE New YosK IEsAtc
New York Herald Hurear.
Washington, ID. c., Nov. 20.
The delegates to the Conference for
the Limitation of Armament are com.
placently watching the outcome OF
contest between the military and pro.
gressive parties (the Old and the
New of Japan. They are supremely
confident that the new and progress.
sive Japan will win.
The conflict, which has been mis-.
interpreted to imply an embarrassing
deadlock in the general purposes CT
the conference, has arisen over the
Hughes formula for the limitation os
naval armament. Pending the deci.
sion of the Imperial Japanese Gov
ernment, over which Hirohito, the en-
lightened Crown Prince, has assumed
the role of Regent, the diplomatic
delegates to the international con.
ference have been compelled to delay
announcement OF their acceptance OF
the Hughes plan.
The delegates of the leading "a
tions to the conference do not enter
tain the slightest doubt that Prince
Tokugawa viii be able to announce
acceptance OF the Hughes formula
by japan before the next plenary ses.
sion OF the conference, week hence.
They scoff at the suggestion that
crisis involving the fundamental pur.
poses or ieopardizing the ultimate
success of the conference has arisen
AS the consequence of the attitude
OF the professional naval element
which seeks to dictate the interna
tional policy OF the japanese Empire
Surrender Is Expected.
The opinion is rather general
among them that the japanese naval
experts will be compelled to surrer-
der to the universal demand for the
scrapping of excessive naval arrna-
ments. Not even the Japanese ex-
perts are permitted to do,iSt the pur-
pose of the American and British
representatives in the conference. TO
insist on the adoption OF the reason.
able Hughes formula.
The American delegation tonight
declared. THE correctness OF the
stand taken by the United States is
not even debatable. The American
people through their delegation have
proposed TO scrap ships on which
they already have spent $3.50. 200. 600
That this investment shall he counted
az part Of the naval strength Of tho
United States is a proposition that Is
not arguable. Figures representing
ships under construction have been
put into the American proposal for
every country"
The contention of the Japanese
naval experts in demanding 10-1o7
ratio instead OF the 5-5-S schedule OF
reductions proposed is looked upon
as the sort of "red herring" TO save
the superdreadnought Mutsu from
the scrap heap. from reasons of ma
tional pride. That is the plain Eng
lish OF the counter proposals ex.
pressed in intricate technical naval
terms as representing the final Jspa.
nese concession 10 the great internR.
tionai reform.
Eagerness 60 Save Nutsu
It is held inconceivable by this
Government that japan should de.
mand, for instance, the scrapping oe
ship Sc per cent. completed and the
United States receive no credit for e.
when Il might be finished in the
briefest time and constitute the finest
ship In the world. Japan's naval ex.
perts, in their eagerness to save the
Mutsu, have attempted 60 compel
revision OF the Hughes formula SO
az 20 eliminate types OF ships rather
than tonnage.
rt is the Arnericsh position that the
question is reduced 20 one of prinoi-
pies which the Powers may accept or
reject. which cannot be changed, eau
not be argued or debated and which is
dennonstrable by figures ss being snii-
nsntiy generous and liberal In re-
gard 10 japan The existing ratio is de-
cisxeo by American suthcritiss TO b.
sivuys under tho ic-s given 10 Japan