The St. Mary banner., 1921-12-24
JAPANESE ACREETO
5-5-3 PROPOSITION
Three Great Powers Have
Agreed to Scrap Sixty
Eight Dreadnaughts.

| L y,
when the United States, Great Britain
and Japan announced a final agree
ment on the American "5-5-3" ratio.
| Agreement among the three major
naval powers was reached on the basis
Of status quo" understanding as to
| Notifications Of the Pacific Islands.
At the same time the United States
and Great Britain acceded to Japan's
desire to retain her newest battleship,
the Mutsu, with proportionate changes
In the American and British fleets
| While the principles of the original
| American proposal were not impaired
by the triangular agreement the set
tlement contemplates the following
changes in fleets to be retained:
Britain to Have 20 Ships.
| Great Britain, 20 ships instead of
%, with an aggregate of $685. $50 tons
instead of 605,4 ,450 tons.
United States, IS ships, as originally
proposed, but with an aggregate of
5000 tons instead of 5O0,650 tons
Japan, 10 ships as originally propos-
ed but with an aggregate of 313,300
tons, instead of 299,700 tons.
At the end of the 10-year building
holiday, the fleets will stand under the
revised detailed plan as follows:
Great Britain $4,000 tons, United
States $4,000 tons and Japan 315,0OO
tons.
British spokesman hurled bomb
shell into conference circles Friday
with the announcement that France
had asserted before the naval commit
tee of Is her intention of building be-
tween 1925 and 1885 ten capital ships
of $4,000 tons each. The statement
stood unchallenged from French quar-
ters.
1t appeared that a French proposal
was submitted at the first meeting of
the committee after Secretary Hughes
had announced the agreement be-
tween Great Britain. Japan and the
United States to abandon projected
building programs, scrap 6S capital
ships, aggregating nearly 100000
tons, and set their navies in ten years
on 5-53 basis as between themselves.
The one action disclosed at Fridays
meeting of the committee was the
agreement no ito talk until a con-
clusion had been reached.
Arthur J. Balfour, head of the Brit
ism delegation, gave notice Friday that
Great Britain would purpose to the
arms conference the total abolition OF
submarines.
The announcement also said Mr.. Bal
four would take the submarine ques-
ton before an open session Of the con-
ference, thus supporting previous
statements in British circles that
Great Britain desired an opportunity
to state her case before the world"
British spokesman have sl.t how
ever, that British acceptance of the
5-5-3 ratio plan was in no way contin-
gent upon favorable action by the con-
ference on Great Britain's proposal
that submarines be abolished as law
full naval weapons.
Naval opinion in American, Japan
ese, French and presumably Italian
groups is understood to be in opposi-
tion to the British contention that
submarines are of necessity weapons
of assassination"
Washington.-The four-power Pacific
treaty, with a reservation attached to
make it inapplicable to purely domes-
tic questions and to the American man
date policy, was formally signed Tues
day by the plenipotentiaries of the
United States, Great Britain, Japan
and France
The reservation, presented in writ
ing, by the American representatives
and accepted by all the others, de-
clares that the American attitude to-
ward Pacific mandates shall not be
affected by the treaty, and that the
treaty provision for four-power con /
sultation on questions arising over the !
Pacific islands, shall not be construed !
as applying to any problems which, in /
international law, are only of domestic
concern. +
No formal ceremony accompanied !
the affixing of seals and signatures I
The signing took place in the ante
room of the office of the secretary Of
state, in the presence of large com
pany of American and foreign officials,
advisers and clerks There was nc
speechmaking, and representatives OF
the press were not admitted.
The American copy Of the treaty
went to President Harding, who will
submit it to the Senate for ratification
He probably will not take it to the
canitnl in nersnn and he NAV delay ita