Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-12-18
Navy Plan
Submitted
By French
Prosopal for l0.Ship Building
Program Put Forward
Without Approval of
Government.
Wait Reply From BRAND
ny Tho Associated rress.

Washington, Dec. l7.--Conicr-
ence Developments took new and
hopeful turn tonight when it be-
came known that the French 10 ship
building plan was submitted with
out the approval OF the Paris gov
ernment, and that direct conversa-
tions between China and Japan had
brought the Shantung controversy
near a settlement.
Naval subcommittee action to-
ward five power pact on naval
limitation awaits an answer from
Premier BRAND on both the 10 ship
project submitted by French dele
gates here and upon the joint
counter proposal concurred in by
Great Britain, the United States.
Japan and Italy, that France accept
a capital ship strength OF l75,o0O
tons as compared to her present
100000 tons in dreadnaughts.
A three-hour session OF the sub
committee today was largely taken
up by Albert Sarraut, head OF the
French delegation, in presenting
views of French naval experts here.
Secretary Hughes made brief re-
ply. tending to stimulate the good
feeling among the committee mem-
bers. The official commuinque, how
ever, would admit nothing beyond
the facts that the committee met,
talked, adjourned and would meet
again.
Plan Framed By Experts.
AS to the French proposals for a
new fleet of 10 35,000-ton capital
ships, which stunned conference cir
cles when they first became known
yesterday, it was learned that they
were framed here by direction OF
Admiral De Bon. chief French naval
expert, under his authority from the
delegation to present the views OF
the French naval general staff.
Premier BRAND and former Premier
Viviani both had left before the pro-
posals were framed. The Paris gov
ernment has been informed by cable
of the situation.
1t was evident tonight that the
l75,ooO-ton capital ship limitation
for France was proposed by the
American delegation originally.
ltaly's spokesman in the subcon-
mittee, Senator Schanzer, replied
that Italy accepted the American
point of view as to tonnage and
would be satisfied with H5,000 tons
if France accepted that figure.
The point of the Italian delcga-
ton, as it is understood to have been
developed, is that Italy had two
principles to maintain in the naval
ratio discussion, one that the Ital-
ian navy should be on an equality
with that of any other power in the
Mediterranean and two, that the
Italian ratio should be as low as
possible for Italy's purely defensive
purposes.
Gives New Angle.
knowledge that the French 10
ship building plan, which up to to-
night had seemed a stumbling block,
was merely the suggestion of the
French naval staff here as to what
it deemed desirable for France, put
new face on the deliberations. The
action of the French experts in out
ling their views was not only au-
thorized by the French delegation
as a means to bring about full
discussion of the general problem
of naval relativities, it is understood,
but it was also supported by con-
ference precedent.
The only written presentation of
Japan's first claim to naval ratio
of 20 per cent as compared to the
American fleet, so far as known, was
made by Japanese experts in the
original committee of experts aban-
doned later for the naval committee
of IS.
| The American 175,000-ton plan
for France and presumably Italy,
undoubtedly represents the same
system of existing strength calcula-
ton. There is not available, how
ever, detailed analysis for ship
scrapping in the French and Italian
cases, since the tonnage allowance
represents fifore than either power
now has. Presumably it does con-
template the scrapping of all pre-
dreadnaughts of both powers as of
no military value