The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-14

Of the American "5-6-3" naval ratio tion appears imminent.
 After another meeting of the ma, that "one very small point alone
 The Japanese exception tc the American plan Is understood to
 center about her desire to re- tain her new bnttIexhIp Mutmu and scrap instead vessel of older type. If she is permitted to do so, 1t Is indicated that the
 United States and Great Britain will insist on similar concessions for themselves, always in the ratio of "5-5-3."
 While the naval problem was en- tering what appeared to be it's de- cisive stage. another of the big pro- Jects of the arms conference was brought to consummation. The new four power treaty to preserve peace in the Pacific was formally sealed and signed by the plenipotentiaries of the United States, Great Britain, Japan and France.
 Reservation Attached
 The quadruple agreement as finally approved, however, has attached to it a reservation" proposed by the American delegates and accepted by he other powers. It provides that
 
 fall within the scope of the treaty, and that none of the treaty pro- visions shall be construed as modi fication of the American policy to- ward Pacific mandates, a subject to be dealt with in a separate treaty HOW nearing completion, between the United States and Japan.
 Meantime indications devel- opcd that in another branch of the Washington negotiations
 that concerned with Shantung,
 were not going so smoothly. After nearly q dozen meetings, in which apparent progress had
 been made, both the Japanese and Chinese came ont of con- ference late today showing signs of somewhat dampened hopes.
 The question of financial settle ments involved in Japanese with drawal from the Kaio-Chow leashold was the stumbling block which ar rested the progress of the negotia- tions Neither side was disposed to regard the situation as crisis, but each complained that the other had taken a position difficult to under stand.
 End of Farley
 In delegations outside the Japa- nese and Chinese groups, these diff fculties were looked upon as en- trely temporary, and in no way likely to prevent the hoped for con cusion of the conference by the end Of the year.
 Another indication that the gen. eral trend of the conference Is satis- factory to the leaders was given by the departure for France of Rene Vivani, head of the French delega- ton The date of his departure had Gten fixed for semetimeH but 1t was 5, sad to be contingent on situation n which would permit hsen to leave without enlbarrasslnent 10 the work os the conference.
 Rumblings of opposition to the fcnr-power treaty continued today in the Senate to which the agree w4at must be submitted by President Harding for ratification. Senator LaFollette, republican, Wisconsin, declared in a public statement that the new arrangement had all the faults of the League of Nations with none of it's virtues, and number of democratic senators indicated that they preferred to pursue policy of silence until the republicans had in terpreted" the treaty to the Senate.
 Four IFe0uee
 It now appears likely that there will be four or more treaties to send 10 the Senate when the conference is over, and some of the democratic leaders want to see all of them before they decide on a course of action. There is a growing impress sion that the naval ratio and the far eastern declaration, and perhaps also the agreement on naval bases in the Pacific, will be written into formal treaties which may be pending in the Senate simultaneously with the four bower pact, and that relating to the mandated islands.
 President Harding also hopes that some sort of an agreement will be reached before the conference ad- jcurns for future meetings to talk over international probltms. It Is not proposed to write such an agreement into treaty form, but 1t may be com, municated to the Senate as part of the general accomplishments of the conference.