The New York herald., 1921-12-25

habitableness. in other words. they were
too small for efficient use. and Italy is
indebted to the cooperation of French
and British submarines for having been
able successfully to meet the situation.
Has Few Good Submarines.
"Since the armistice italy has demol-
ished as many as thirty submarines. She
is actually left with forty-three units in
active service and four under construc-
ton. the total amounting to 20.250 tons.
Only ten of the first units may be con-
sidered Of any utility, since they are OF
more than 700 tons displacement. the
others will have to be successfully re-
placed.
although our naval technical au-
thorities believe that the allotment OF
submarine tonnage should not necessarily
be proportionate to that OF capital snlps'
and that the quota Of 31,500 tons for
submarines. corresponding to the Ameri-
can proposal Of q tonnage Of 175.0OO
in capital ships, Is not sufficient. the
Italian delegation is ready. In the IN
terest of reduction Of armaments, 10
accept this amount. under the condition
of parity with France.
Concerning this point we have pre-
else and categorical instructions from
our Government"
Mr.. Hanihara then said the Japanese
delegation was unable, he had
70 confess. to convince itself that the
submarine was not an effectve anu
necessary weapon for defense.
The Japanese delegation hopes that IT
had made clear. at the time when the
provisional agreement was reached De-
tween the United States, Great Britain
and Japan on the question OF the capi-
tai ship ratio, that the acceptance py
Japan of the ratio Of 5-5-3 meant Tor
Japan a considerable sacrifice. Yet
because OF her desire to contribute
toward the achievement of the great
object for which the conference had
been called Japan finally accepted the
said ratio under various great Difficult
ties. In the same manner Japan was
prepared to accept the same ratio in
regard to submarines. That would
have given Japan $1,000 tons. So far as
Japan is concerned. this figure was
considered as the minimum amount or
submarine tonnage with which the in
sular position OF Japan could be ade-
Quately defended.
Japan Would Get 900 Tons.
The new proposal was to allow the
United States and Great Britain 10000
tons each. while France. Italy and
Japan were to maintain the status quo
in regard to their respective submarine
tonnage. In other words. under this
new plan Japan would be allowed to
have only $1,000 tons. That was con-
sidered by the Japanese delegation to
be wholly inadequate for Japan's de-
fensive purposes.
The Japanese delegation therefore
Tzy@ .~t~ too 80 fx,oi ot n u
signment OF the tonnage proposed In
the original American project. i. e.,
$4,000 tons of submarines.
Mr. Hanihara hoped that he might be
permitted to point out that this demand
on the part Of Japan was actuated solely
by consideration of defense. japan was
geographically 80 remotely situated tina t
1t must be evident to all that her sub
marines could not constitute a menace
against any nation.
Mr. Sarraut stated that In view OF
the fact that the new American proposal
contemplated a considerable reduction in
the submarine tonnage which appeared
necessary to the French Government, re
French delegation could not do otherwise
than await instruction.
Mr.. Balfour then said that as the
committee appeared to be at the end of
their days program he would like to
ask the chairman and his colleagu
whether a technical examination should
not be initiated of the system of naval
tons and the measurement of tonnage.
He had been brought to make this sug-
gestion by a discovery, made somewhat {
late in the day, that although there had
been much talk of "tons," different ma
tions did not always mean the same
thing. -.
He did not say that It mattered very
much in ordinary circumstances which
system of tonnage was employed, but
now that international arrangements
we're being made for the future he
thought 1t eminently desirable and al
most Indispensable to settle two ques-
tons: first, to decide the system of
measurement Of tons for incorporation
in the treaty; and. second, to adopt a
system which could be measured without
difficulty and above all, without any in
ternational misunderstanding as to It's
precise meaning. He suggested this
question might with advantage be re-
fcrred to technical experts.
The chairman said that the matter of
tonnage had already been informally
discussed, the British, with their legend
ton. according to Mr.. Balfour, came
within or per cent OF the American
ton, and Admiral Kato had said that
the Japanese ton was even closer to
the British than the American. The
chairman said he thought the suggestion
of great Importance, while the differ
ence was not great. the method OF arriv-
Ing at the calculation was the question
on which II was necessary to agree.
He suggested that a subcommittee OF
experts should determine upon tho
standard ton. II 1t were agreeable to
the committee, he would suggest that
each of the delegations appoint two naval
experts for the purpose Of arriving at a
definite conclusion in this matter. This
procedure was agreed to and the follow
| ing subcommittee on naval tonnage was
named:
United States--Admiral Taylor, Ad-
miral Pratt.
British Empire--Rear Admiral Sir
Ernie Chatfield. Instruction Commander
| Stanton.
France--Capitaine De vaisseau Fro
chot. Capitaine De Vaisseau Dupuy-
Dutemps
Italy--v'ce-Admira Baron Acton,
| Commander Prince Fabrizio Ruspoli.
Japan--Not named.
The meeting then adjourned until
Tuesday next, December 27. 1917, at IL
o'clock A. M,