The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-08
JAPAN In HALT
Work on Big BattIeships Is
Ordered Ceased.
Small Ships To Be Started to
Give Jobs.
HUGHES PLAN IS CRITICISED
Cabinet at Toxic Believes Fig
ures in Cut Unfair.
Era of Lasting Peace Forecast
by the Premier.
HUGHES PLAN IS CRITICISED
(By the Associated Press.)


Toxic, Feb. S-The navy depart
ment has ordered dock yards to stop
construction work on the eight battle
ships and battle cruisers which are to
be strapped. Construction of auxiliary
craft set for the fiscal year 1924-1e25
will be advanced to the present in
order to afford employment for the
dock yard workers.
Japan is allowed 100000 tons of
light cruisers and destroyers by the
naval treaty. At present she has APP
proximately 225,000 tons of which
10000 can be declared obsolete. Tne
amount saved on capital ships, accord
ing to the tentative figures of the navy
department, is 106.7s4,0 900 yen.
Lasting Peace in Prospect.
The agreements reached at the
Washington conference mark the first
step toward establishment of a real
and lasting peace with the possibility
of abolition of ornaments. Premier
Baron Takahashi told the house of
peers yesterday.
1.-The imperial government does not
pretend that the conference was an
unqualified success as viewed from an
individual standpoint he said. 1T
does believe, with the other powers,
that the present agreements are the
first step toward realization of real
and lasting peace and that such agree
ments will grow in the future even
into an understanding for the total
abolition of defense equipments"
The premier's utterances came in
reply to an Interpolation by Baron
Tushiatsu Sakamoto. Announcement
of the final adjournment of the
Washington conference reached the
diet approximately at the moment he
was speaking.
Hughes Plan Criticised.
Baron Sakamato, the first speaker
on the days session, characterized the
Hughes proposals for standard Iimi-
since he excluded the considerations
of the individual nations geographic
cal positions and calculated naval
strength ON the wrong basis.
He criticised also the Pacific forti-
fications agreement and regretted
planes. He further declared that, in
his opinion, use of airplane carriers
was unfair. Baron Sakamoto is a vice
admiral and distinguished himself in
the Chino-Japanese war. To these
arguments the premier replied:
by no means, was it with the view
to concentrating national defense that
the treaties were enacted, but to
minimize the possibilities of warfare
in the future and ensure national de-
velopment along more peaceful and
productive lines"
X
Foreign Minister Uchida followed,
giving assurances regarding evacua-
ton of Siberia by Japanese troops
when the negotiations at Chita had
been completed and the safety of
Japan nationals assured. The Wash
ington conference falling on the eve
of the diet session the opposition
parties have been utilizing whatever
was DONE at Washington, with the
consent of the Japanese as the sub
ject for adverse criticism.
The premier and his ministers seem
to have been able to meet the criti-
cism of the acts of the Japanese dele
gates without trouble, and neither
the opposition in=the diet nor the OPP
posing press has been able to arouse
notable antagonism to the accom-
plishment of the conference or to
create the desired impression that
Japan had lost prestige at Washing
ton.
Commercial Bodies Satisfied.
Cabinet members and leaders of the
controlling party appear not even to
have taken the criticisms. seriously,
and the diet has been occupied with
the questions of suffrage and the pro-
posed reduction in the army.
In commercial circles so far as can
be observed. only intense satisfaction
at the results achieved in Washington
prevails. With the prospects of ces-
sation of the boycotts and propaganda
in China and lessening of the antag-
onism toward the United States, the
commercial world has opportunities
hitherto undreamed of for industrial
and commercial development, access
to raw materials and improved trade
relations.
The consensus Of opinion in both
social and Industrial circles is that the
ten-year naval holiday will prove a de-
cade of peace and prosperity for
JaDan