The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-09
NO LIMITATIONS
FOR AIR NAvIES
SAY The POWERS
Recommendation by SubcOm-
mittee Is Adopted.
Aerial Development Too Closely
Linked With Commerce.
CHINESE ORDERED. TO YIELD
Deadlock With Japs Over Shan
tung To Be Broken.
This May Be Last Week of the
Conference.
Recommendation by SubcOm-
mittee Is Adopted.
Aerial Development Too Closely
Linked With Commerce.
CHINESE ORDERED TO YIELD
This May Be Last Week of the
Conference.

Washington. Jan. 9.-The five great
powers of the Washington conference
definitely decided today not to at
tempt any limitation of aircraft.
The report of the subcommittee
recommending that nothing be done
at this conference because the devel-
opment of military and naval craft
was so closely linked with the devel-
opment of commercial aviation, was
adopted by the powers.
May Be Last Week.
The armament conference embark
ed today on what many of the dele
gates believe and hope will be the last
week of the long parley.
Limit Auxiliary Vessels.
Merchant ships of more than 10000
tons displacement would not be avail
able for conversion into auxiliary
naval craft in time of war under pro-
visions of the naval limitation treaty
now practically completed by naval
and legal experts of the arms confer
ence.
Ships of II, 900 tons or less when and
If converted would come within the
rule which limits the armament OF
naval craft except capital sh1pS 10 guns
of eight inch calibre of less.
Unless unforeseen contingencies
arise to delay matters, the majority
of the statesmen consider that by the
end of the week all of the major prob
lens of the conference will either
have been settled or will be in such
shape as to permit their departure
from Washington. leaving the mop
ping up" to be done by a council OF
ambassadors
The five-powered naval treaty. a
possible eight or nine powered treaty
affecting China, and a declaration
concerning Siberia are the three out
standing matters to be accomplished
as the conference swings into its third
month.
Naval Treaty Ready.
The naval treaty is drawn and vir-
tually ready for presentation to the
powers. The naval experts worked
most of Sunday to whip it into shape
and it may be presented at today's
session.
The immediate business before the
full committee when it met this morn
ing in the Pan American building, was
the experts recommendations against
the conference adopting any restric
tive measures against the development
or operation of aircraft.
This report probably will be ac-
cepted with but minor exceptions.
Having, adopted "humanizing" restric-
tions on submarines and gas some of
the delegates feel that similar action
should be taken with regard to air
craft.
Consideration of the naval treaty
will consume several days and it may,
IL long drawn out, defeat the hopes of
the chief conference figures of ending
up this week.
france Demands Definition.
Both France and Italy. with an eye
to Great Britain's vast merchant fleet
and the possibility of the quick con-
version of merchant vessels into war
craft. want the naval treaty to define
what constitutes a merchant ship.
Official spokesmen for the British
delegation have announced that never
again, while submarines are permitted
to roam the seas. will Britain send
her merchantmen to sea unarmed.
An armed merchant vessel constitutes
an auxiliary naval vessel. according to
the opinions held by the experts of
other countries
vide some spirited debate when the
conference gets down to conside ering
the treaty section by section.
Will Not Sidcstep.
At the conclusion of a long session
of the naval experts yesterday it was
apparent they were having difficulty
in reaching agreement on some of
their technical definitions and it was
intimated that the question of defining
Il merchant snip Wllnln the meaning
of the treaty has been or might be
brought up again.
Altho it was the original intention
of the American delegation, at least
as indicated by Mr.. Root in the full
committee session, not to attempt to
define a merchant ship beyond the
definitions of international law. some
OF the delegates are known to be max
ing particular study of the question,
and to regard it as one more that can
not be passed over.
China May Yield.
The British delegation was said to
be prepared to bring the question be-
fore the full committee if necessary
and to argue that merchant ships may
carry guns without becoming auxiliary
war vessels and thus subject to attack
without warning by submarines.
While the Washington negotiations
between China and Japan over the re-
turn of Shantung resulted in an os-
tensible state of deadlock" today, the
positive statement was made in Off
Cial Japanese quarters that the Chin
ese delegates have received instruc-
tions from Pekin to yield
BIG HOSPITAL FOR ST. LOITIS