Evening star., 1921-12-25
DECLINE TO TAKE
$1,000 TONS AS SHARE
CONTINUED from First Page.]

ultimate French decision on the COM
promise proposal constitute the point
Of departure Tor the resumption OF
negotiations on Tuesday.
Under the American compromise
plan, the submarine ratios would be.
in round figures, Great Britain. 8;
United States. 6; France. 4: Japan, !.
and Italy. 2. The Italian proposal for
parity with France at $500 tons
q 6-6-3-3-3 distribution. while il the
Japanese built up from their present
strength to $4,000 tors. as they sug-
gest they would have almost an
equality with TIE reduced American
and British submarine Eotilla- Neither
American nor British expert naval
opinion would accept such an aDpor-
tionmsnt.
American figures On tho present
submarine strength of the five powers
are: United States. $500 tons; Great
Britain. $4,000 tons; France, $4,000 tons:
tons. In connection with the italian
desire to accept only equal submarine
tonnage with France, It was stated
thai Italy would orefs- to have
France scale Down her submarine
fleet $4,000 tons to equal the present
Italian fleet. but II that could not be
done Italy would demand the right
aggregate. The $1,000 tons for beth
was a compromise proposal.
$4,000 Tons for France.
On tho basis of capital ship strength
as already accepted. France would
have q submarine tonnage Of about
80, 900 tons as against 10000 each for
tho Cnitad States and Great Britain.
The nav American plan. however.
would permit France to have $4,000
inC fnv bn
United States and Great Britain.
Aside from their contention for sup
preston of submarines as a world
policy, the British delegation has in
dicated that if submarines were to be
retained they would urge reduction
American plan. They have suggested
$4,000 instead of 10000 tons as the
figure they thought about right for
Great Britain and the United Statea
The American compromise meets the
British just half way on this conten-
tion by proposing to cut American
and British strength in submarines
from 10000 to $4,000 tons
Desire Met Half Way.
In the same way the 42.000-ten fig
ure tor France may be compared with
the desire Of the French experts for
80, 900 tons and is also apparently an
effort to meet half way the French
desire TO increase submarine tonnage
as it would meet half way the British
desire to reduce.
Another feature of the American
compromise that stands out is that
while it proposes a middle Of the-road
course as to both British desires to
reduce and French desires to increase
submarines. the net result for the five
powers would be substantial reduc-
tion in their aggregate tonnage, as
Great Britain and the United States
combined would scrap nearly 10000
tons in submersibles
What eventually will be done with the
British abolition proposal was not ap-
parent tonight, but the suggestion for
creation by the conference Of a contin-
uing commission to study the whole
submarine question seemed to be gain
ing considerable favor. II it did not
recommend total abolishment, such a
commission would be expected to make
recommendation for restriction of sub
marine warfare in such way as to
prevent recurrence of the submarine
horrors Of the world war.
It may be found feasible to COM
bine the commission plan with the
project for a world conference, in
which case the report of the investi-
eating body would become the basis
Of discussion when the next interna-
tional meeting is called.