Evening star., 1921-11-13
Rate BY aIail-Payable in Advance.
Maryland and Virginia.
All Other States.
A Working Plan Proposed.


to consider the question Of limitation
) OF arnaments it was incumbent upon
the United States to open the sessions
with a specific proposition. Secretary
Hughes. yesterday chosen chairman,
delivered this proposition at the open
ing session in terms admitting Of no
= misinterpretation and completely sat
isfying the obligation resting upon
this country.
Those who feared that arms limita.
ton would in the proceedings of the
conference be subordinated to other
considerations or minimized or OBJ
'scured will be treasured by the ex.
plicit program embraced broadly in
the four principles enunciated by the
American Secretary of State. In
speaking for the American. govern
ment. proposes ten-year naval
holiday. The four general principles
are thus set forth:
That all capital shipbuilding pro-
grams, either actual or projected,
should be abandoned.
That further reduction should be
made through the Scrapping of GER
tain older ships.
That in general regard should be
had to the existing naval strength of
the powers concerned.
That the capital ship tonnage
strength for navies and proportion
ate allowance of auxiliary combatant
craft prescribed.
With respect to the three major
naval powers whose interests are
chiefly involved in this proposed
agreement the plan Secretary Hughes
outlined would work out to this point:
The navies Of these three would be
reduced by the immediate destruction
of sixty-six capital ships, built and
building, with a total tonnage Of
1,S7S,043, of which the United States
would destroy 845,14O tons. Great Brit
ain 5s3,375 tons and Japan 44S,92S
tons; that these powers should within
three months agree to establish their
navies at the strength respectively Of
eighteen American. twenty-five British
and ten Japanese capital ships with a
respective tonnage Of 500,65o tons.
604,450 tons and 2s9, 700 tons; that re.
placements after ten years should be
on the scale of 100000 tons for the
United States, 100000 tons for Great
Britain and 100000 tons for Japan:
that no capital ship should be built
in replacement Of a tonnage replace
ment greater than $4,000 tons.
10 a~t$
It. gives starting point for the con-
ference. 1t is practical, it involves an
enormous relief from expenditure, it
prevents war-inviting competition
and it leaves all three of the powers
upon their present relative planes of
naval strength.
Consideration of questions relating
to the far east is, Secretary Hughes
says, not necessarily to be postponed
until an agreement on limitation OF
armament has been reached, though
the American program is to consider
first the limitation question. Neces-
sarily those matters which are Of q
war-provoking possibility must be
studied with a view to adjustment,
and Mr.. Hughes in the name Of tho
American delegation suggests that
the conference viii proceed In its or
ganization to study both phases Of the
subject at once. It is, however, q
gratifying and reassuring sign Of ear
nestness on the part Of the American
delegation that the spokesman for this
country and the chairman Of the con-
ference should put forth in clear and
unmistakable terms plan for partial
disarmament which is fair to all in
terests and which, If adopted. will
bring immense relief to the tax
burdened people of the countries at
fected.
With this beginning the arms con-
ference starts in circumstances most
promising Of results. In frankness
and plainness of proposition. the plan
offered by the United States estab-
fishes the conference at the outset on
a hasja of nractical accomplishment.