Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-12-14
Japan Has Indicated Con-
ditional Agreement to the
5-5-3 Proposal Submitted
By Secretary Hughes.
DELEGAT EXPECT
A P. AIRY SESSION
DeciSiQ$$ ! Communicated
to w american and Brit
iSFsJ VoyS and Is Dis
cs$, d By the Former
! the Associated Press.)

lnSton, Dec. 8 (by the AS
81 i Press) ).-Announcement by
thee difference of agreement on
the 5-5-3 naval ratio between Great
Britain, Japan and the United
States, loomed tonight as probable
before the weekend. A plenary
session is expected by some dele
gates. Japan has indicated condi-
tional agreement to the 5-5-3 ratio.
Her acceptance was coupled. how
ever, with q request to substitute
the new battleship Mutsu for the
old 12-inch gun ship Setsu In the
ships she would retain.
The decision of Japan was COM
municated informally to Mr..
Hughes and Mr.. Balfour by Ad-
miral Baron Kato and was discuss
ed today by the American delega-
tion at a conference attended by
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt
Later the "big three" Of the naval
powers, Messrs. Hughes. Balfour
and Kato. again met. this time Mr..
Roosevelt, Admiral Coontz and
Rear Admiral Pratt attending.
One Point Unsettled.
After this meeting it was said
that only "one very small point
remained unsettled. 1t was indi-
Gated that both the American and
British group were opposed in a
general> way to changing the list
of retained ships of each power as
would be necessitated If Japan re-
tanned the Mutsu. This opposition,
however, is expected in conference
circles to give way IL the Japanese
are insistent. In that case, it was
learned that the United States
probably would retain the battle
ships Colorado and Washington in
place OF the Delaware and North !
Dakota and the ten-year naval !
holiday would be modified to per- I,
NIT Great Britain to construct two !
additional ships.
The japanese proposal Is in line |
with the contention of the Japan |
csc naval exports that experts Of all |
nations were agreed that ships
armed with 12-inch guns could not
lie in the battle line against mod
ern craft armed with 14-inch. 10
inch or 16-inch rifles.
Both the Setsu and Delaware and !
North Dakota are 12-inch gun ships
while the Mutsu and the Colorado !
and Washington each carry eight
16-inch rifles.
Heaviest British Guns.
Great Britain has no battleships |
as far advanced as the Mutsu and
the Colorado and the Washington.
The heaviest British naval guns are |
15-inch. Presumably, If provision
is made for two additional British |
battleships to take the place of the :
two oldest ships Of the King George +
V class on the retained list. vessels
of the Mutsu type and armament
would be added.
The four superior Hoods planned
by the British and to be abandon
ed, are more than 10000 tons in
and beyond the 3d.
000-ton maximum limit proposed
in the American plan. 1t has been
Indicated that Great Britain did not
desire to carry out any building
program at this time.
There was some reason to be-
lieve tonight that British opinion
in the sessions of the "big three"
was being exerted against any
of the original Ameri-
can plan that would rearrange the
list of retained ships so as to make
1t expedient for Great Britain to
proceed with capital ship construc-
lions