Arizona republican., 1921-12-22
[RepubIican A. p. Leased wirel

WASHINGTON. Dec. 21-Formal negotiations of the arms conference were at a standstil today, but dele- gates continued personal consulta tions which appeared to strengthen the general confidence of an early solution of all the points remaining at issue.
 With definite capital ship ratios agreed upon by all five of the prin cipal powers, there was revealed feeling that limitation of auxiliary craft was largely minor question of detail in the settlement of which the individual desires of the nations could be generally accepted. The view was expressed that the real business of the conference had been accomplished in the limitation of first line ships. France is to present her estimates for auxiliary vessels to the naval committee tomorrow and all though she is expected to ask for submarine and cruiser strength out of proportion to the capital ship ra tio fixed for her. no one appears to regard the prospect of adjusting her claims as difficult. It is not under stood 10 be regarded as essential by conference leaders that capital ship ratios be applied rigidly down the line through smaller vessels.
 Hopeful on Shantung Issues
 In the Shantung negotiations. too. the days informal conferences de- veioped new indications of trend toward agreement. The Japanese. who are awaiting further instructions from Tokio regarding the terms of withdrawal from the Tsingtao-Tsin anfu railway. expressed the opinion that the temporary halt in formal eX- changes with the Chinese did not constitute a serious deadlock Simi- 1 lar expressions came from other dele gations although the Chinese seemed ! inclined to fear that the discussions ! had ecountered serious obstacle.
 The delegates of all the powers | continued an animated discussion | among. themselves regarding the l question of interpreting the new four power Pacific treaty The diff ference in view revealed yesterday | between President Harding and members of the American delegation | rela ting to the application of thu ! treaty to the principal islands of thu | Japanese empire, furnished the chic | topic of personal conversation anon! many of the foreign plenipoten' tiaries who privately expressed them selves as unable to understand how l d Hdu utNcAoRtd
 | No further explanation was forth coming from the White House ol from members of the American arm. group. but 1t was declared in stat' l department circles that there existed no question of the attitude of th' | American government. The inter ! pretation of the American delegation
 it was said. holding that the treat,
 does apply to the major Japanes' islands, stood as the official Ameri
 can view.
 Treaty opponents in the senat
 launched another attack. which cen
 tered about yesterdays white hous
 statement Senator Reed, Democra
 of Missouri, declared that the diff
 ference of view between rhe Presi
 dent and the American plenipotenti
 aries was new proof that the treat,
 had been drafted so as to deceive The whole incident. he asserted. be ! trayed a policy of twisting an turning" cloaked behind a curtain c secret diplomacy.
 May Ask Abolition of Subs . At tomorrow's meeting of the navs
 committee. there may also be a pres : entation of Great Britain's plea fo total abolition of the submarine. At first British delegates had as serted they lay their case before . plenary session but it was decide the more practical course would b to start thef discussion in executiv session. The statement being pre- pared by Lord Lee. however, prot ably will be made public after it ha
 been laid before the committee.
 British delegates although appar
 ently not intending to press the 1 request to the point of greatly pro
 longing the conference, have prt , pared to make a stubborn fight : 7 least for a great reduction in tf
 submarine strength and have car h ! celled their plans for leaving u n 1 United States on December S1. The now expect to depart about the mic I dle of January.
 The French have not revealed wh; = submarine tonnage they will reques Q but it is known that figures runniT a as high as 90.0OO tons have bee = under consideration by the delegate n That would be more than doub