Omaha daily bee., 1921-12-16
Big Three Naval
Powers Agreeon on
5-5-3 Ratio Plan
Japan to Retain Mu,su and
u. S. Two Ships Of Mary
land Class-Britain to
Build Two.

oN American Vessels 10 Dc sSfappcu
nnder the original proposal had q
tonnage OF $4,000 and those to be
scrapped under the present plan have
tonnage OF $4,000.
Japan will scrap the same number
as under the original plan. but the
amended list substituting the old
Sctsu for the new Mutsu makes the
total tonnage TO be scrapped by
Japan 435.000 tons, in place of 44800D
tons in the original plan
Great Britain. which was to have
Scrapped l9 capital ships under the
original plan, is to give up 23 under
the revised arrangement. but will
tuild two new ships The British
tonnage TO have been scrapped,
under the original proposal was $685.
OO0, and under the revised proposal
will be 605000.
The total number OF capital ships
by the three powers under the first
American figures was 90 and under
the revised figures will be 68. The
total tonnage to be scrapped was
l,S78O43 tons in the original plan
and is 1861, ,643 tons in the revised
plan.
1t was indicated in the official an
nounccment that no further modihca.
tons will be made ln the American
!0-year naval holiday plan except as
may be necessitated in arranging the
relative position OF the French AMI
Italian navies in the reduction plan.
big Five" to Sign Treaty.
1t was announced that the naval
agreement, including that on naval
bases and Notifications, probably
would be incorporated in treaty to
be signed by the FIVE powers. No
plenary session of the conference. it
was stated would be held to con-
slider the naval agreement until the
entire subject, including that OF aux.
iliary ships, was settled.
Under the agreement it was Off
cially estimated that the United
States would save from $l5.000,000
to $20,000.000 over the original pro-
posal of the American government.
The agreement was made public
in an announcement to the sub
committee on naval armament,
which said:
The following are points Of
agreement that have been reached i'll
the course of the negotiations be-
tween the United States, Great
Britain and Japan with respect to
their capital fighting ships:
Agreement has been reached be-
tween the three powers--the United
States, the British Empire and
Japan. on the snbject of naval ra-
tio. The proposal Of the American
government that the ratio should be
5-S-3 is accepted. It is agreed that
with respect to Notifications and
naval bases in the Pacific region, in
cluding Hongkong, the status quo
shall be maintained, that is, that
!, there shall be no increase in these
Notifications and naval bases except
that this restriction shall not apply
{ to the Hawaiian Islands, Australia,
New Zealand and the islands com
posing Japan proper, or, of course,
to the coasts OF the United States
and Canada, as to which the respec-
tive powers retain their entire free
dom.
Japan's Tonnage Increased.
"The Japanese government has
found special difficulty with respect
to the Mutsu, as that is their new
est ship. In order to retain the
Mutsu, Japan has proposed to scrap
the Setsu, one of her older ships,
which under the American proposal,
was to have been retained. This
would leave the number OF Japan's
capital ships the same, that is, 10, as
Under the American proposal. Re
tent:on of the Mutsu by Japan in
place OF the Setsu, makes a differ
ence in net tonnage of 1900 tons,
making the total tonnage of Japan's
!. capital ships 3l3,300 tons, as agains;
10000 tons under the original
American proposal.
while the difference in tonnage
is small. there would be consider
able difference in efficiency, as the
retention OF the Mutsu would give
to Japan two (2) post -Jutland ships
OF the latest design.
ITO meet this situation and to
preserve the relative strength on the
basis of the agreed ratio, it is agreed
that the United States shall COM
plete two (2) OF the ships in course
of construction, that is, the Colo
RADIO and the Washington, which are
now about 90 per cent completed,
and scrap two (2). of the older
ships, that is, the North Dakota and
the Delaware, which, under the
original proposal, were to be re-
tanned. This would leave the United
States with the same number OF
capital ships, that is, Is, as under
the original proposal, with tonnage
of 52S,8s0 tons, as against 5OO,650
tons, as originally proposed. Three
(O of the ships would be post-Jut-
land ships of the Maryland type.
Britain Allowed Two Ships.
".As the British have no post
Jutland ships, except one Hood, the
construction OF which is only partly
post Jutland, it is agreed that to
maintain proper relative strength, the
British government may construct
two CD new ships not to exceed
$4,000 legend tons each, that is,
calculating tonnage, according to
British standards Of measurement,
or according to American calcula-
tions, the equivalent of $1,000 tons
each. 1t is agreed that the British
government shall. on the completion
OF these two f2) new ships, scrap
four (4l OF their ships of the King
George V type, that is, the Erin,
King George V, Centurion and
Ajax, which were to have been re-
tanned under the original American
proposal. This would leave the
British capital ships in number, 20.
as against p under the American
proposal. Taking the tonnage Of
the two (2) new ships according
to American calculation, it would