Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-12-15
British Propose Building Two
Super Hoods and Two
/ New BattIeships.
MUTSU WOULD BE KEPT
AND SETSU SCRAPPED
West Virginia May Be Saved.
France to Be Opposed if She
Asks More Ships.

Hughes, hF. unu
I<ato, today completed their con-
sidcration of the naval ratio prob
lem. it was Indicated after their
meeting. No details of the con-
ference were made public. but 1t
wns indicated that progress had
dtcated that n statement by See
retary Hughes might be issued
late In the day.
1t was said the .'big three'' as
such did not plan another meet
ing. II they nre not to meet again.
It IL considered likely that the
next step will be to take up the
matter of the limitation OF naval
armament In the special commit-
tee of fifteen.
The big three" Secretary Hughes,
Mr.. Balfour and Baron Kato. had be-
fore them today when they met the
reports of the naval experts on sew
eral alternative propositions. present
ed in an effort to permit Japanese
to retain their new battleship Mutsu
and at the same time retain the 5-5-3
naval ratio laid down in the American
plan for the limi tation of naval arma-
ment.
Japan. under the proposal, would
keep the Mutsu and scrap the older
battleship Setsu.
The Americans would retain the
Washington and Colorado. two new
battleships, and would scrap the
Dala and Dal
British Offer Alternatives.
The British offered alternative pro-
posals. l. That the British should
construct two super Hoods and scrap
four old dreadnaughts and a battle
cruiser of the Tiger type. 2. That
Great Britain should build two bat
tleships of the Royal Sovereign type.
the latest type constructed. and
should scrap four old dreadnaughts.
The American tonnage under the
proposed plan would Be Increased
from 100000 to $4,000 tons. it was
said The British. it was said, must
have a corresponding increase and the
Japanese would gain somewhat also
in tonnage
Subject to Adjustment.
The acceptance by Japan of the
$3.50 ratio is understood to have been
subject to an adjustment of the mat
ter of the fortification of the islands
in the Pacific by the United States.
1t is proposed that the fortifica-
tions of the United States and Japan
in the Pacific islands shall remain in
status quo, that neither shall con-
tinue with it's plans for increasing
these fortiticationS.
The only delay in the settlement OF
the naval ratio question by these
three powers, it is said. is due to
the difficulty in working out the
technical details. the principles of the
settlement having already been agreed
to by the conferees.
New Plcnary Session Soon.
So promising is the outlook that it
was predicted today there would be
another plenary session of the con-
ference to confirm the work on the
naval ratios by Saturday or Monday.
A statement reported to have ema-
mated from: the French delegation. to
the effect that France would demand
a naval ratio of 315.000 tons of cap
ital ships, or approximately a ratio
of as compared TO 5-5-5 Tor the
three big naval powers, created some
surprise in conference circles today.
1t may be said that such Il propo-
sition will be resisted in the confer
cpce. The British look askance upon
such ratio for France, and Italy,
which is asking for the same ratio
as France, is opposed to the building
of such large navy.
French May Ask 81 Ratio.
In one authoritative quarter it was
reported today that the French would
ask ratio of 81. Even this, how
ever, was declared to be considerably
larger than the ratio which Great
Britain and Italy would like to see
adopted, which, it was said, is IL