Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-12-20
FRENCH NAVAL
RATIO STILL
SPECULATIVE
Stand of French Still
Shrouded in Mystery After
Day of Doubt
PRESERVE SILENCE
Generally Believed That Secretary
Hughes Figures Finally Will be
Accepted as Proposed

Washington, Dec. 20.-Washington
is in an orgy Of doubt and conjec-
ture tonight about both the Confer
ence questions that are to the front
the French naval claims and Shan
tung.
Not even the hectic speculation
which prevailed during Secretary
Hughes silence just preceding
announcement of the four power
treaty equals tonight's performance.
for in that period some of the for
eign delegates dropped a meaning
phrase or two, even if Mr.. Hughes
would not.
Mr.. Hughes is now as silent about
French naval matters as he was then
about the treaty, the French are
amazingly silent for so Toluble
people. and apparently most Of the
other delegations are reduced to the
same doubts and conjectures that the
reporters find themselves more or
less desperately engaged in.
That is the situation after the
Frnch delegation has spent 2 hours
with Mr.. Hughes, going over lnstruc
tions from Paris and after meet
ing of the subcommittee of - has
been called for tomorrow.
Very generally the conclusion
reached is that the French will give
up their claim for 350,000 capital
ship tonnage, and drop to the tlgure
Mr.. Hughes is said to favor. l75.00O
tons, or come very close to that, but
will insist that they be allowed
areer submarine tonnage than they
would get if the Hughes idea were
followed down the line through sub
sidiary craft arrangements. That, 1t
is worth noting, is the view held by
many of the British who are might
ily interested in what France will
do next.
Quite possibly, many also be-
lieve. the French will attempt to
link to the naval agreement some
sort of direct or indirect guarantee
of aid in the event of an attack upon
France and will so handle their case
as to make the naval situation here
a lever for use in getting some OF
the things they want from the Brit
ish and that are being discussed in
the conference in London between
Premier Lloyd George and Premier
BRAND.
In the Shantung matter, at the
close Of the days parley, which was
expected to yield an agreement or
final disagreement, the Chinese
said that progress" had been made.
and that they hoped the decision
would be announced at the close of
tomorrow's conversations. From the
Japanese came ntimations that Ja'.
nan would insist to the end upon
maintaining some control over the
Shantung Railroad, probably through
taking a mortgage from the Chinese
rather than allowing them to pay in
cash. The Japanese also continue
the fight to keep some Of their
people in important places in the
roads management.
However. Shantung cut little figure
during the day. except with the spe-
cialists in Chinese matters. Every
one else was too busy running down
rumors about the French situation,
and trying to run down and back
into corner someone who really
knew what the French were about.
The business started early in the
day. with all hopeful and expcctant
that the air would be cleared by
dispatches from Paris in response
to the messages sent at the close Of
the week bv the French delegation
here, and by dispatches from the
scene Of the Briand-Lloyd George
conference in London. But in lit
tie while the air was thicker instead
of clearer.