Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-11-15
EXPECT JAPAN
Will ACCEPT
PROCRA N
Announcement Prob a b ly
Will be Made When Brit
ish Approve Proposals
LONDON IS READY
Reported That English VIII Urge the
Giving up of all Submarines As
One Of First Steps

Washington, Nov. l5.--lt is now
expected that Mr.. Balfour speaking
for the British Government at the
! Disarmament Conference tomorrow,
will formally accept, in principle,
/ the American naval limitation pro-
gram.
1t is also expected that immedi-
ately afterward Prince Tokugawa,
head of the japanese mission, will
/ give formal notice that his country
/ likewise accepts the program in the
main.
That the British, after 48 hours
study of the Hughes plan Of action,
would approve it in its broader phases
was semi officially announced today.
Only few hours later it was clearly
intimated in japanese circles that
the Oriental power would not be far
behind Great Britain in expressing
their acquiescence in the American
program.
Neither delegation will swallow
the Hughes proposal whole and neith-
cr has been expected to do so by the
Americans II has been we'll under
stood that Great Britain and Japan
would have proposals to make
with respect to certain details of the
limitation program This Govern
ment will welcome suggestions that
come from either of the other naval
powers so long as those suggestions
do not involve any radical change
in the direction of more instead of less
armament.
Nor is there any reason tonight for
believing that either the British or
the Japanese will ask fer modifica-
tions of the Hughes program in the
interest of greater naval strength FOR
any Of the three powers than that al
lowed under the American plan of ac-
tion
On the contrary, there are some
what vague but none the less per-
sistcnt reports in Washington tonight
that the British, if not tomorrow,
then later will propose the scrapping
of the whole business of building or
maintaining submarines. At the mo-
ment there is no official authority for
these reports, but it would not be sur
priSing to those most intimately as
sociated with the Conference to find
the British going even further in the
direction Of reducing armament than
America has gone.
Upon the question Of limitation, it
can be stated. there appeared to be
little or no difference Of opinion on
the part Of the three great naval
powers. The British appear to be
entirely willing to abandon further
construction, just as are the Ameri-
cans. The abandonment Of construc-
tion Of armament for the ten years
is literal limitation of armament 50
far as sea power is concerned. If
there develops differences Of oDinion,
resncctinr Great Britain and the
United States particularly, those diff
fercnccs probably will center about
the reduction Of existing naval arma-
ment. not limitation on basis OF
tonnage now afloat. Surprising as
it may seem, all reports are to the
general effect that the British are
more inclined at the moment to re-
duce their naval power than are the
Americans
Il was learned in official quarters
TODAY that the British delegation
reached Washington with carefully
prcnared plan for limitation for the
leading fleets Of the world This pro-
gram was to have been presented at
an executive session Of the Confer
encc and at time when Japan would
he expected to present their plans.
Secretary Hughes at the opening ses-
sion Of the Conference upset the
British plan of procedure, however,
by laying the American cards on the
table while all the world looked on.
The British nlan now is to approve
in principle the American plan. doing
it publicly. then to submit their pro-
gram in the form of a counter-sue-
2cStion to be considered first by the
naval armament committee Of the
Conference and afterward by the
Conference as whole
It is now confidently expected that
the japanese. as already stated, viii
follow the British in accepting broad
" what the Americans have proposed
then offer their own suggestions as
to tn" best means Of arriving Al the
naval parity toward which America
is moving.
1t is not too much TO say that the
JaoaneSe are perhaps more thar sat
isficd with the relative naval strength
which they would enjoy under the
Hughes program From the very day
of their arrival Japanese spokesman
have made it clear that they desire
fleet in the future At least half az
! an Y,urA