The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-26

Despite unfavorabIe clements which have developed in the astempt to fix proportional submarine ton nage for the five powers, practically all the delegates observed the holi- day by a complete suspension even of informal discussion of the points al issue.
 Tomorrow also will be day of rest on the conference program.
 In view of the attitude Of Japan and France toward the American compromise proposal. more than one plenipotentiary today reflected dis couragement over the outlook for an problem. The usual air of outward diplomatic confidence was assumed by all members ot the conference, but it Is known that some of them re gard the question or fixins ratios for auxiliary ships as even moro diff cult than was tnc arrangement of a satisfactory prop0rtionales strength in capital ships.
 Some delegates talking
 privately of the possibility that
 the present conference mny de-
 eide finally to let construction
 of subnarInes and other nuxfi-
 iaries go on as each nation de-
 slres, without nny Limitation
 agreement. but wth the under
 standing that the subject would
 be taken up nt later intrrna-
 ftOnai meeting. in winch preatr
 number of nations will he repre-
 scented.
 This suggestion Is said tp have been an oulgr9wth Of the req tzaticii that Che five great powers canno- reach practicable decision un sucI submarines without some sort O. acquicscence f5om smaller nations who possess these craft m consiG erable numbers.
 Japnn and France
 Hope of an agreement on suhmd- rines now appears to hinge on tne decision of Japan and France. Great Britain and the Gnited States havias come together on the American pro posal for 60,0Oo tons each, .and liai. having indicated willingness 10 ae- cept any reasonable figure so long d z she has strength equal 10 ,iiat ot France. Japan is standing oit an quahfledE for the 54 .pOu to.iA pi.a-- eded ugaer the original Ameftead plan instead of the ef f.0UU sle Wou have under the compromise pEopo- sal, and the French have not .taientl- ed their request for 9O.0O0 tons d.. though they have referred 10 Par.a the compromise suggestion that France and Italy each have S1.0ut- ton fleet Of submarines.
 1t seems certain that if .lapan is to have the 5i.000 tons of the c American plan, the United Stat. ap Great Britain also both will ins isi ul keeping the 90.000 tons orig ihaiiy provided for each of them.
 No Humiliation
 Should France, on the other ar.-. hold out for anything like 9o.VDe. some delegates do not believe 1t like ly that either the United States os Great Britain would care' to place any limitation at all on their ability to build submarines.
 If the efforts to limit submarines should be abandoned it Is net con sidered unlikely that proposais to agree on building programs for cruisers and other types of auxil iaries would also go by tho board, since the submarine strength of an: one nation might gauge the desires of other powers as to the number of anti-submarine craft they should possess. So unless the submarine nut is cracked the possibility that the conference may go no further with naval questions than the capital ship agreement already made. already is being foreseen.
 In that case the plan for d future conference on auxiliary craft natur- ally would have as part of It's work the drafting of new code of regu- lations to govern the use of the sub marine.
 plan for continuing the effort to work out submarine regulations already Is well matured. For the present the British abolition propo- sal Is pigeon-holed in the naval com mittee, but 1t may come up later at an open session of the conference, and the British delegates say that ie Is certain to be presented again id the event of another international meeting to consider limitation of armament.