The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-12-23
PARIS YIELDS ON
DEMAND FOR NAVY
BRAND Sends Long Cable to Del
egateS to Arms Farley.
HUGHES RATIO is ACCEPTED
Agreement Brought About Through
Cablegram From Secretary of State
to Ambassador Harvey Asking
Him to Consult BRAND.

Washington, Dec 20.-Acting on In
structions received from Premier Bri-
and the French delegation here have
modified the French demand for &c.,
600 tons of capital ships
During the night long coded cable
gram reached the delegation from
London, where BRAND is now discuss
ing international problems with Lloyd
George. Albert Sarraut, accompanied
by Ambassador Jusserand, Admiral De
Bon and an interpreter, arrived at the
State department and laid the sub
stance of the Ri land message before
Secretary Hughes. The meeting last
ed two hours and it was then an
nounced that the naval committee will
meet later.
Word From Harvey.
Meantime Secretary Hughes had re-
ceived from Ambassador Harvey as
surances that BRAND had ordered the
French delegation not to hold up the
naval limitations plan any longer
1t was reported that Balfour and
Root have begun to draft treaty on
China.
An authoritative. explanation was
given on behalf of the American dele
gates of Secretary Hughes action in
cabling instructions to Harvey to see
BRAND. The French delegates still
here were reported to be peeved at
this apparent disregard of their au-
thOrity as plenipotentiaries. AS
matter of fact, Mr.. Hughes still recog-
niZes BRAND as head of the French
delegation and in view Of his ex-
changes with the French premier prior
to Brands departure from Washing
ton, the secretary of state felt himself
obligated to get into direct touch in
this crisis.
At this hour it is not known whether
Sarraut is in a position to accept the
f75,OO0 tons of capital ships proposed
by the American and British delega-
ton. Considerable doubt exists that
the French would cut their demands
III two with single stroke of the
pen.
1t can, however, be definitely stated
cablegram Sarraut and Jusserand were
prepared to reduce their claim to ten
new capital ships They had begun to
consider a maximum strength of
seven, giving tonnage of 245000,
building ON which would begin in ten
years time. Thus France could not
be accused of wrecking the naval holt
day.
France Not Menaced.
The British are not prepared to sup
port the demand for even seven bat
tleships and battle cruisers Balfour
has pointed out to the French that be-
fore the war France was content with
a navy one-third of the strength of
the British. He insists that the stand
ard should suffice now, especially as
France is menaced by no one.
The objection of the British is not
so much to capital ships that France
might build in the ensuing ten or fif-
teen years, but to the proportionately
strong submarine fleet which she would
begin to build Immediately.
The possibility of the situation is
that unless Sarraut reduces the French
demand to 100000 tons, the British
will insist that the United States
Great Britain, Japan and Italy agree
to a four-power pact to limit their
navies. This would isolate France In
the eyes of the world and render it
morally impossible for her to build up
big navy.