The New York herald., 1921-11-29
Toxic Prepared to Yield the
Mutsu Rather Than
Block Agreement.
JAPAN rs SAFEGUARDED
Experts Say 6 to 10 Basis
Secures Her Against Ag-
gressive Action.
BY eraser scHoRN NsrnE1MEn.

by GhASEH SCHORN STHElMEH.
Special Despatch to Tue NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau
Washington, n. c., Nov 2S.
Every doubt that America had made
mistake in figures when calculating
the tonnage totals was dispelled by
American naval officers to-day. The
textbook statements about the Japa-
nese warships have ben found to be
quite little out of the way.
1t is understood that, in the same
condition in respect to load as Ameri-
can warships, the Japanese vessels
displaces quite little more than the
textbook figures indicate. And so it
must be admitted that the American
plan gives the true state Of affairs.
Standard Adopted.
Some time ago It was reported that
the Japanese intended calling on Mr..
Hughes and presenting to him facts that
would tend TO prove that the American
calculations for the total tonnage for the
existing Japanese navy were in error
that error existed it would have been
possible for the Japanese TO scrap the
Settsu of 22,S00 tons. and on the total
displacement include the battleship
Mutsu of $500 tons without disturbing
the tonnage figures to any great extent.
There are all kinds of ways TO de-
termine q ships displacement. Such
terms as normal displacement, trail dis
placement" or Toad displacement" are
misleading because in each navy they
mean something a little different. And
so, in order to get a common basis for
the estimation of the tonnage Of the
various nations a certain standard had
to be set and then the various foreign
warships had 20 be figured out with that
standard as the basis. In making up the
totals for the various nations American
naval advisers took the normal load dis
tie standard and worked out the dis
placements Of che foreign warships ac-
ccrdingly.
Estimates Restudfcd.
Following is an authoritative state
ment OF the case given exclusively to
THE New YORK HERALD. 1t dlspels all
doubt of the ability of American ex-
perts to figure as to the tonnage and
value totals of foreign navies:
"The American estimates of tonnage
were reduced to a common rule. and
therefore the tonnages assigned certain
foreign vessels may not appear to be
the same as those taken from different
publications. Rules for fixing the dis
placement OF naval vessels are not ex-
actly the same in all countries, and
1t is necessary TO reduce to a common
rule in order to make q fair compari-
son.
THAT may possibly account for the
reported contention of the Japanese ex-
perts that the estimate on which the
American plan was put forward is
erroneous. A careful restudy of the
estimates of tonnage does not bear out
the Japanese opinion that existing
naval strength is seven for japan to
ten for the United States, and does
bear out the ratio of six to ten, which
is the ratio put forward in the Ameri-
can plan. The ratios of the American
plan are designed to hold for the fu-
ture, based upon actual present con-
ditions.
I'm the belief of American naval Of
fIcers the present ratio is ten to six, at
which ratio the United States and
Japan could each feel that its interests
are entirely safeguarded. To increase
Japan's ratio to seven-tenths from six
tenths could not be regarded by the
United States with equanimity. con-
sidering the great distance of her ex-
posed territories in the western Pa
cific from her continental coast. IT
would mean an increase of Japan's
relative power over the present status
quo which would be permanent handi-
cap. lasting through the life OF any
agreement that may be reached by the
conference.
Toxic Ready to Accept.
"Laymen can hardly understand the
immense bearing that the relative dis
tances of the theatre of operation have
upon possibilities cf success. Technical
experts must always have these dis
tances in mind in estimating the possi-
bilities of war.
with n relative naval strength
toward Japan OF 10 TO the United
States cannot hope TO undertake aggres-
eit-c octfo, o0ofpcf in tha xvoefarr