The New York herald., 1921-12-21
TEXT OF MESSAGES
over FRENCH RATIO
Communications Read by
Hughes at Meeting of
subcommittee.
FRANCE AS GAMER
Q. S. Secretary of State
Reviews Advantages Of
fered to Her.
FRANK LANGUAGE USED
Brands Reply Shows Desire
to Reconcile Views for
Agreement.
FRANK LANGUAGE USED

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (Associated
Press).--The following communioue
was issued after the meeting to-day
of the subcommittee on naval limita-
ton:
The adjourned meeting of the sub
committee on naval limitation took
place this morning, December 20, at
III o'clock in the Pan-American Build
| ing. The chairman read the follow
ing communications that had passed
| between him and M. BRAND:
December 16, 1921.
My Dear NJ BRAND In view of
your distinguished service at the Con-
ference on Limitation of Armament and
of my responsibilities as chairman of
the conference venture to address
to you this personal word I am happy
to say that the conversations between
the United States Great Britain and
Japan as to the proposal which l made
or behalf Of the of the American ~ov-
ernment at the opening OF the confer
ence with respect to capital ships have
resulted in q provisional agreement.
Great Britain and Japan have accepted
the naval ratio as proposed and the re-
duction of capital ships with such modl-
ications as do not seriously affect the
principle involved
Japan keeps the Mutsu and scraps the
Settsu. The United States finishes two
ships-the Colorado and the Washing
ton, now about 80 per cent. completed
and scraps the North Dakota and Della
ware. Great Britain will build two
new ships and scraps four, to wit, the
Erin, King George ". Centurion and
3gU l.. @T.,t IA TN,tf al
States still scraps thirty ships that
is, thirteen of the ships under con-
struction, and seventeen instead of fif
teen of the older ships, leaving the
number or ships the same as under the
original proposal with tonnage OF
$3.50 tons instead Of 100000 tons
Thus, the United States scraps 322, 2,001
tons of her share exclusive of pre-
dreadnoughts), Great Britain and
Japan scrap to an equivalent extent
Japan retains the same number Of ships
as proposed and scraps seventeen as
proposed, her new tonnage being $4,000.
instead of 300.0 900.
Little Change in Readjustment.
Great Britain scraps 22,600 tons
more than originally proposed, leaving
her tonnage $4,000 instead of 400.
Her excess being allowed in view of
the age of her existing ships. The
new limits are very little different from
those proposed. being $4,000 tons for
the United States and Great Britain.
and 315, 900 tons for Japan. The naval
holiday as to capital ships is agreed
upon except for the construction of the
ships above mentioned In short, under
the original American proposal there
were to be scrapped by the three Pow
ers sixty-six capital fighting ships, built
and building, with total tonnage (tak-
ing ships laid down as completely of
1,S7S,000 tons Under the present ar
rangement, on the same basis of calcu-
lation, there are to be scrapped sixty
eight capital fighting ships with a tom
mage of 1.ss1,O tons.
You will thus observe that there has
been simply slight readjustment in the
three navies with respect to the ships
retained. but that the sacrifices pro-
posed by the American Government
have substantially been made and the
principle as laid down is being carried
out so far as these three Powers are
concerned.
''The agreement, however as to the
number of ships to be retained by them
Is dependent upon an appropriate agree
ment with France and Italy with re-
spect to their capital ships. Italy Is
desirouS to reduce her capital ships
because OF the obvious requirements Of
her economic life, to the lowest pos
sible basis and there will not be the
slightest difficulty in making an agree
ment with Italy IL we can reach a
suitable understanding with France.
You will observe the attitude of
France will determine the success or
failure of these efforts TO reduce the
Ion NJ
Consideration OF Facts.
I'm dealing with Great Britain anc.
Japan. we have taken facts as they are.
We have avoided an academic discussion
of national needs and aspirations which
In the nature Of things could not be real
lied. II has been pointed out that the
ratio of strength In capital ships is that
which exists and that II is futile TO
desire better one, for IL cannot be OBJ
tained IL nations with abundant re-
sources build against each other In COM
petition. The pre-dreadnaughts pos
sessed by the three Powers are to be
scrapped without any suggestion OF re-
placement, and there has been reduc-
tion of over 40 per cent. Of the naval
strength represented by dreadnaughta
and superdreadnaughts
"Now France has seven drcadnaughts,
with tonnage Of 164.500 Reducing in
the same proportion as the United States
has reduced, her tonnage Of capital ships
would be fixed at 10000 or ~ the pre-
dreadnaughts Of France were taken into
calculation on her side although omitted
on the side of the United States. the
total tonnage OF Frances capital ships
being taken at 221. 900. a reduction on
the same basis would reduce France to
1860 tons.
This would be the sacrifice OF France
if she made the same sacrifices that
have been made by the other Powers
We do not ask this. We are entirely
willing that France should have the
benefit of an increasing tonnage which
would preclude the necessity OF her
scrapping her droadnaughts, that Is to
cay. her present strength in dread
raughts is about 1874. 900 tons. and there
is not the slightest objection 60 allowing
this and an increase over this. or total
CT 175. 900 tons, which would be more
than TO- 900 tons over what she would
have on the basis OF relative strength as
Il exists.
"Tf Il be said that France desires
greater relative strength the obvious an
swer Is that this would be impossible OF
attainment If such an agreement as
we ere now proposing were not made
the United States and Great Britain
would very shortly have navies Of over
= million tons, more than six to- one as