Evening star., 1921-11-23
TONNAGEB|G ISSUE
in NAVY REDUCTION
Agreement on Fundamental
-. Necessary for Solution of
Whole Subject.
MUCH FIGURING INVOLVED
,Experts Also Considering Battle
i Efficiency Of Ships in De-
Il liberations.
BY JUNIUs b. WOOD.

II The conference committee which is
teonsidering naval armament in execu-
hive session has progressed to an at
Ikempt to define the tonnage OF the va
Ieious nations. An agreement on this
important fundamental Is necessary for
'Any solution of the subject. While in
the popular mind fixing the tonnage OF
ID dreadnaught may be only slightly
imore complicated than weighing q load
lof coal, to the naval expert It means
something vastly more. Unofficial ex-
iperts, unhampered by such considera-
Hons. have galloped merrily forward,
iunearthing and settling other problems
(which are weeks ahead OF the commit
zee, while the real experts have been
behind locked doors In the workfoomS
of the different nations headquarters
Consuming pencils and paper in uneno-
5ne computations.
- Tonnage Good Yardarm.
The situation indicates that the con-
ference is destined to involve long and
Gomplicated problems of mathematics In
put -of-the-way rooms. as we'll as to
Arouse impatient popular enthusiasm in
Hifferent parts Of the world. Tonnage
mere balancing of Of first-iine ships by
numbers, for a rough comparison Of
AaMes. 1t shows ships capacity in
1efensive armor, guns ana engines.
How they may be proportioned depends
engines are desired. a corresponding
freight in guns and defensive armor
must be sacrificed. This is quite ap.
parent.
Another factor in tonnage which the
Aiency of the ship. If dreadnaught
Ien years old is superannuated and
Nne twenty years old is practically
Worthless this is factor in compar-
ing the relative tonnage OF the three
nations. With a ten-year building
Ham before the conference this fea-
inre has an added Importance. Tom
rage of the ships tentatively selected
IN that program for each OF the ma
s4me hve or ten years from now q it
4nes today. This Is the point on which
4ne experts are working.
a. Nations Give Figures.
Each nation has presented its COM
YEation Of its own naval tonnage to
the conferences. showing ships already
built and in building. These are be-
Asht Of the changing conditions dur
ing the next ten years.
When the committee gets down to
concrete cases on this basis the fate
sf the Mutsu. Colorado. West Virginia
and Washington will be settled. ia
pan has already expressed unquali-
He'd opposition to the proposal to
scrap the Mutsu. the finest super
dreadnaught in her navy and which
will 60 into commission-in In . few
Hays :, American naval autsori.i.. ar.
Equally averss to scrapping their
three new superdreadnauGhts Just be-
Ing completed At = cost Of $l00. 900. 900.
and retaining other ships which are
ALREADY superannuatsd and VIII be
$wenty-nve years OLD before they can
The naval oficers cousid6r proposing
to the conference were explained in
detail In my article of last Saturday.
:, japan FavoRs Increase.
:, That Japan will request . naval
American strength, instead OF so per
6ent rs proposed in the American pro-
gram. seems certain. They would have
A10-10-7 program, instead of 5-5-3.
Contending frankly that q 60 per cent
strength is not sufficient for defense
against possible attack by an Ameri-
can feet. Japan says that she wants
a navy for defensive purposes only
and takes the stand that she Is the
her own defense. Though naval au-
thorities Of some other countries con-
slider so per cent, taking Into consid-
Grafton the long steAming distance
Which any American navy would cover
before reaching Japan, amply sum-
cient for all defense, the japanese ar
Eumsnt 10 . dimcuK one to answer in
diplomatic language
= (oopyrasht 1S2lJ