Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-01
NINE POWERS VOTE
TO GIVE UP RIGHTS
ENJOYED IN CHINA
Continued From Page ~

Continued From Page ~
per cent in tonnage of capital ships
is necessary. Vice Admiral Kanii
| Kato, president of the Japanese ma
val college and chief naval adviser to
! the Japanese delegation to the
| Washington conference. said to the
| Associated Press last night in an in.
| terVieW.
Vice Admiral Kato, who is regarded
as the leading Jauanese authority
| on naval strategy, declared that the
main issue for the conference on linn
itation of armament was the reduc-
| ton of armament burdens.
Japan accepts this issue whole
heartedly," he continued, land is
| quite prepared to scrap capital ships
under construction and old battle
ships. The naval ratio is a question
Of grave concern to the security of
| the nations. / hope the United
States will accept the 70 per cent
| for Japan which is the minimum of
! strength required for her arma-
ments.''
The vice admiral remarked that
the agreement to limit ornaments
must be accomplished by a thorough
understanding of all those partici-
pating.
people of all countries" he said,
must be in full armament, other
wise, even though an agreement be
made, it might create an unpleasant
feeling and defeat it's purpose. To
| meet the desires of the Japanese
| people, as to their national defense,
I believe that a 70 per cent ratio as
compared with the United States and
Great Britain is necessary.
"The main issue in hrdlu mfwy
! of armament as [ have stated above,
is to relieve the burdens of the ma
] lions. Japan has shown her hearty
accord to the idea and has agreed to
the wholesale scrapping of capital
ships under construction as we'll as
old ships. This practically means
that the great purpose of the con-
ference has been attained, because
1t Indicates that in the future there
will come about huge reductions in
naval expenditure. There is anoth-
er point to which I would like to
call your attention. When you think
about the sacrifice made by the ma
| tons represented at this conference
| 1t seems clear that the degree of
| sacrifice is very great for Japan. I
! mean that it will be felt more keen
ly by us than by the United States,
because our Industrial and shipbuild-
ing power cannot be compared to
that of America
| Shipbuilding Facilities
7 when it comes to national aspira-
! lions and the general security of the
state, believe it best for the coun-
try concerned to decide what those
national aspirations are and what
security is needed to safeguard them
The preamble to the American
proposals specifically says that the
United States believes that the plan
later presented safeguards the in
terests of all concerned. Let me
emphasize again that in order to
Safeguard the interests of the Japa-
nese empirs thirty per cent is neces-
sary. If The ratio of seventy per
cent is accorded to Japan this does
not mean the purpose of the confer
ence is defeated, as I have pointed
out before, the main purpose of the
present meeting in Washington is
limitation of armament. The rela-
tivity OF tonnage is not the princi-
pal ISSUE"
In conclusion, Vice Admiral Kato
continued that the capacity of ia
pan to replace her warships was in
finitely less than that of the United
| States. Japan, he said, would be
quite unable with her present ship
building and Industrial strength and
! taking into account the paucity of
Ter raw material, more especially
steel, to engage successfully in COM
petition as to replacement of ships.
For instance" he said, "do you
realize that the yearly output of
steel in Japan is only 100000 tons,
whereas in the United States the
yearly output is almost $4,000, 900
tens? Under these circumstances it
is quite impossible for Japan to think
of entering into any race with nay
strong industrial power in case any
difficulty should unhappily arise in
the future. 1t would almost be bet
ter to abolish all capital ships en-
tirely. 1t would certainly be fairer
TO Japan, which in asking for seven
ships to every ten of the other
great industrial powers, is merely
putting forth a request that seems
to me to be eminently fair and reas-
enable based as it is on all to the
questions which enter into the main
tenance of a navy"
American Estimates
In conference discussions on the
question of ratio, Japan appears to
be adhering to her six group CLASH
tication as to measurement and is
particularly insisting upon the point
that ships under construction should
not be counted in estimating exist
ing strength of a navy. The various
classihcations give her TO.5 per cent
as an average compared with the
American navy. According to one
conception Of the conference work
the American contention is that
super dreadnaughts and dread
naughts and all ships under con
struction should be logically taken
as the basis of measurement.
Under this plan it is stated that
America counts the estimated ton
. mage of ships when they are actually
completed, although some of them
have only been started. Under this
classification also it is stated that
the American figures place the pres
EFT Japanese navy somewhat under
: fifty per cent as compared with that
of the United States and Great
Britain.