The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1921-11-23
LITTLE REVEALED
BY NAVAL EXPERTS


ciated Press).-Sessions ofinaval ex-
perts of the "big three in the arms
conference remain wrapped in mys-
terry today so far as any official word
of what transpiring goesY Unoffi-
cially spokesman in some Gases gave
hints and half glimpses that atsrevealed
little but involve technical questions
which only serve to confuse. .iaymen in
naval matterS SgsS
In the American viewpoint there is
no good reason to bring Mto public
view all the almost incomfashensible
discussions of the experts. What is
in progress, it was pointed out to-
day, is conference of equats of which
the only product can come by a unani-
nous agreement and there }is every
reason to expect that such an agree
ment is to be reached soop that will
not carry widely from the American
proposals as to naval reductions and
limitations.
In shaping their suggestions, the
American delegation took into consid-
Grafton many things besides. the mere
question of capital ship tonnage, in
terms of which the plan was finally
set down. Estimates of naval strength
of each power included, Il is said,
estimates of each of it's whole build
ing programs and of its financial
ability and mechanical eqttpment to
execute any building program it
might deisre if competitive building
was to continue ~
The 5-5-3 ration of the American
replacement scheme to epd competi-
tive building and all it's evils and the
fleet strength that would remain un-
der the proposed immediate. reduc-
tions on the eve of a tenEyear COM
plete building holiday both are under
stood to reflect this summary of mat
ters not susceptible of Mathematical
treatment. Y
So in the American view the ques-
ton understood to have been raised
by the Japanese as to theiexact sta. e
of completion of the battleship Mutsu,
which Japan would be called on 10
schap as part of her abandoned pro-
gram, is immaterial. It's Insisted
hat she be retained ,hasS iiyalent
must ba retained D sfre tstsss
and Great Britain. For each of those
powers it would mean more than a
single additional ship.
The United States has three ships
which would be retained, it is con
tended, under any argument that
would permit the Mutsu to survive.
If the cleancut proposal of Secretary
Hughes to cut the knot of competi-
tive building at the line of November
II is to be abandoned, it is urged, all
of these three might be retained by
the Uni d States, for they ranged on
November 10 from 80 per cent COM
plete for the Colorado to Cd per cent
complete for the West Virginia. And
the American or British equivalent
for the Mutsu would be more than one
ship each, if ratios of existing
strength are to be followed.
1t is because of these considera-
tions that American officials appear
hopeful that in the end the work of
the experts will come out at practical
ly the place the American plan die.
on November 1.-THE "zero hour'S for
the cut. The arguments that have
been raised as to the effect of differ
ent methods of calculating tonnage,
differences in formulating the rate
of progress on construction of new
ships into definite percentages do not
chance the American view, it is held,
that 4La IL