The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-04
NAVAL REPORT
OF EXPERTS IS
NEARLY READY
Agreement of Subcommittee
on Chinese Tariff of 5 Per
Cent Also Outstanding De-
velopment.
TO DEFINE METHODS
tBy Associated Press,

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-Pratical
completion of the report to be sub
mtted by the committee of naval ex-
perts TO the naval committee of the
armament conference and agreement
OF the Subcommittee on Chinese tariff
on five percent effective basis were
two important developments today in
the conference situation.
The naval committee may be called
to meet this afternoon or tomorrow If
is said, to receive the reports of the
experts which will embody precise
definition of the replacement sched-
ules as well as the exact method of
scrapping ships which are to be
eliminated from the navies of the
slgnatory powers.
while the rate agreed upon by the
subcommittee on Chinese tariff is
the same as that provided in existing
treatles the fixing of five percent as
the effective rate is expected to result
IN clear increase of approximately
one and one-half percent to the Chin
ese government, adverse exchange
having reduced the existing tariff to
about 312 per cent.
Important Step
An important step toward agree
!
| proposal to prohibit use of subrnar-
! ines against merchant vessels was
| seen today in the proposals accept
ance in principle by the French dele
CATION subject to discussion of the
| precise language of the declaration.
Although acceptances still are
awaited from the governments of ia
pan and Italy. there was indication
| that neither of these powers would in-
! terpose serious objection if the pro-
posal received the full approval of
| France. and it was believed the dele
| cations possibly would be prepared to
resume discussion of the matter today
! al a meeting of the full naval cam
mittee of the conference.
| The exact nature of the reservations
| attached to the French acceptance, as
| communicated to Secretary Hughes
| by Ambassador Jusserand late yester-
/ day, had not been revealed, but it was
believed they might concern stipula-
tions to govern the conduct of mer-
| chantmen under immunity from sub
/ marine attack. such as whether they
are to be permitted to arm or run
down submersihles and whether it is
to be permissible to disguise warships
as commercial craft That phase OF
the question if raised probably would
] develop other ramifcations and might
/ result in an interesting and many-sid-
| ed discussion.
Bafour Amendment
The French acceptance in principle
| also embraces the Balfour amendment
under which the banning of submar.
! inc operations against merchantmen
would become effective Immediately
! as between the five powers and the
! additional Root declaration defining as
an act of piracy the violation by
| submarine commander of the rules of
| international law
Hopes for an early windup of the
| far eastern negotiations when they are
resumed, probably next week, also ap-
peared to have been strengthened to-
day by developments in connection
with the Shantung issue. Defirite re-
suits were expected in many quarters
from the action of the Chinese dele
! gates in personally approaching Sec
retary Hughes and Arthur J. Balfour.
respective heads of the American and
British delegations, in move to
break their deadlock with the Japan
ese on the Shantung question and TO
secure more direct employment OF the
| preferred good offices" of those Of
ficials.
Repudiated Document
! Another repudiated document has
been added today to the list of those
made public by the special delegation
4 here from the Far Eastern republic
as relating to Japanese and French
policy in Siberia.
J Copies of an alleged treaty between
| the Japanese army in Siberia and Rus
sian officers connected with Ataman
! Semienoff, the anti-bolshevik leader,
whereby the Japanese agreed to sup
port with arms and money an often
sive against the army of the Far East
ern republic, were published by the
delegation yesterday and were at once
denounced by Admiral Baron Kato,
senior Japanese delegate, as "abso-
lutely false
! CANNES, France, Jan. 4-Premier
BRAND and NJ Loucheur, at the head
of the French delegation to the allied
supreme council, arrived here today
and received an enthusiastic welcome.
NJ. BRAND proceeded to the Carlton
hotel and probably will hold the first
of his series of preliminary converse
tions with the British prime minister,
Mr.. Lloyd George, this afternoon.
Marquis Curzon, British secretary
of state for foreign affairs, also ar
rived today. The delegates were
greeted by a mild snowstorm.
rich CINCINNATIAN