Evening star., 1921-11-19
ATTITUDE OF JAPAN
QUESTION MARK OF
ARMS CONFERENCE
Delegates Look to Tokio's
Representatives for Hint to
Show Trend on China.
NAVAL EXPERTS STUDYING
REQUEST FOR MORE SHIPS
Policy May Be Developed Point by
Point-Arms Reduction Out
of Realm.

BY the Associated Press.
A st9tement on behalf OF Japan
on several questions relating to
the far east Svas made at tOdays
session Of the conference cOmmft-
tee ON Pacific and far eastern af-
fairs. 1t was arranged that a conn
piete public statement would be
issued later through the state De-
pnrtment.
hours. and 1t was announced would
hold another meeting at pm.
Monday.
Another meeting of the Ameri-
can delegates to the armament
limitation conference vn~ called
for ; O'Clock today by Secretary
Hughes. Further Information from
the technical committee on the
naval limitation program wss eN-
pected.
The ten proposals. submitted
Thursday by the Chinese delega-
.ions, as was expected. formed the
basis for the discussions Mt tOday's
meeting, and all of the delegation
heads were Understood to have eS-
pressed agreement mt least in prin-
eipIe with Chinese views.
Baron Shidehara, who presented
the Japanese viewpoint. was said
to have shown u friendly attitude
toward the Chinese proposals. and
to have indicated no material oh
lection that Japan would have
toward making them n part of the
proposed agreement on far eastern
and Pacific problems.
The precise attitude of Japan is be.
coming more and more the big inter
rogation point of the arms confer
ence.
When the delegates of the nine ma
tions assembled again today to talk
about the far east it was Japan tc
whom they looked for the hint that
would reveal just what trend is to be
taken by the negotiations as they
affect China.
In the same way. and perhaps with
an interest even more intense, the
naval experts of the powers were
pondering Japan's request for an in
crease in her proportionate naval
strength, and were wondering wheth-
er she would rase a direct issue with
the United States by proposing ma
terial changes in the ratio fixed in the
american plan.
Informed From Toxic.
Interchanges with Toxic during the
two-day recess of committee sessions
were said to have provided the Japa.
nese delegation with comprehensive
information as to the attitude OF
their government. but there was nc
authoritative prediction of how far
that attitude would be revealed at the
present stage of the far eastern ne
gotiatioas. Some of the japanese
delegates seemed to feel it would be
better to develop their policy poin,
Ey point.
All the other national groups were
ready to make a general declaration
of their positions, but among them
all there was apparent a feeling that
since ChinA had presented detailed
bill of rights" the next word be-
longed to Japan, because she was the
ration most interested.
The naval question remained mean.
time outside the realm of actual ne.
gotiation, with the experts of the
five powers working independently tc
develop their national viewpoint. But
il WAS a live subject in the minds OF
delegates and technical advisers, al
of whom attached great Importance tt
the announcement that the United
States would stand determined,
against alteration of the basic ratio
of her plan.
Only Possible Basis.
In the view of the American delega
tion, the way to reduce is to reduce,
scaling down directly from existing
naval strength without favoring an,
nation in the process. They insis
that present proportionate strength
is the ELY possible basis for the re
duction. declaring that to open de
bate on the subject of "nationa
needs" and national aspirations
rather than existing facts, woult
make the negotiations an endles:
tangle of argument.
So. if Japan means to suggest a ma
terial change in the Fundamental
American principle, so that she will
have a different ratio after reduction
than before, she is certain to NEE
with determined opposition from tn,
American delegation. This govern
ment believes the present proportion
is a proper one, and the American
naval advisers, at least, are counsel
ing that if the ratio cannot be main.
tanned by agreement. then it must b.
maintained by a continuation of com
petitive building.