The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-19
JAPAN WILL
INSIST ON
7O% RATIO
Far East Empire Wants
Increase in Capital
Ships.

Copyright. 1921. by United Press
Washington, Nov. 19.-Japan Will
firmly insist on an increase in cap
itaI ship tonnage over that allow
ed her in the Hughes proposal for
limitation of naval armament, &C
cording to authoritative Japanese
quarters today.
The Japanese believe their dread
naught tonnage, after the Ameri-
can program limitation of naval
armament is put into effect, should
be 70 per cent as great as that OF
the United States and Great Brit
ain. instead of so per cent, as pro-
posed by Secretary OF State Hughes.
L. S. WIZ Oppose.
This significant information was
obtained by the United Press fol-
lowing the vigorous statement by
a high American spokesman OF
this governments policy regarding
capital tonnage in which the dis
tinct impression was given that the
United States would oppose moves
from Japan or any other power
for increased capital ship tonnage.
The United States and Japan
thus seem to be iii a position of
almost direct opposition on the
question of limitation OF naval arm
ament, and the first fight of the
conference is threatened.
These salient points stood out to-
day in the Japanese situation re
garGing the naval question in the
conference on limitation of arma-
nent question.
JapS Determined.
THE japanese government and
delegation here has fixed a set ra-
ito Of 20 per cent for the Japanese
navy in comparison with the Amer
lean and British navies which
Nippon is understood TO be pre-
pared 10 insist on as the absolute
minimum" for Japan in capital
ships.
2This is considered opinion
Of the japanese government, be
lieved to have been settled on in
Toxic before the Japanese dele
gates left for Washington, and is
not a counter proposal hurriedly
decided on by the japanese pleni-
potentiaries after the Hughes pro
posal was presented
3-The increased ratio for the
Japanese navy is said already to
have been presented definitely by
the Japanese delegation to the con-
ference as an amendment to that
part of the Hughes program.
Want "PrOper Defense.
The Japanese navy, to a man. is
firmly convinced that the empire
must have a navy 20 per cent as
strong as Great Britain and the
United States for the proper de-
tense of the country against Il fleet
that any power might send to Far
Eastern waters. High officers of
the Japanese navy have come to
this CONJUNCTION as the result of
their fleet maneuvers and their war
games over charts of the Pacific.
It is worthy of note that Ad-
miral Baron KatO, the minister of
the imperial Japanese navy, is di-
recting his cOuntry's stand here.
He is considered one of the strong
est men in Japan today. and is the
highest ranking member of the
government next to the premier.
Type Vessel Is Mystery.
The japanese counter-proposal
is believed to have asked not only
for an increase in Japan's capital
ship tonnage. but to have stated
that in a certain type of vessel of
strictly defensive character Japan
wants to approximate the tonnage
OF the greater navies. 1t is now
known that this type Of vessel was
not the light cruiser or the subma-
rine, as was first supposed How
ever, what vessel referred to IS
still mystery.