The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-14
President Is Called Upon to Begin Negotiations Which
 Would Bring Limitations of Auxiliary Craft Similar to Washington Farley Treaties
LITTLE HOPE EXPRESSED
 FOR GETTING AGREEMENT
Purse Strings of All Powers May Again Be Relaxed When
 Each Seeks to Construct a Larger Group of Sea Fighting
 Forces Than the Other Has
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-Blunt notices that the United States can not avoid new naval program in cruisers and fleet submarines unless treaty limitations are extended to such craft, was served by the House appropriations committee today in reporting the $293, 3,806,538 naval appropriation bill. A six-line pro- vision placed in the bill by the com mittee requested President Harding to negotiate with Great Britain, France, Japan and Italy for such an extension of the treaty, limitation of aircraft to be included.
 The committee report said large cruiser and submarine programs were planned abroad, adding:
 'In other words, competition is on again in the single direction < to which the unratified agreement tthe Washington naval treaty. does not extend. and if it be allowed to .,a on unchecked the purse strings again must be relaxed and this gov ernment, like all others, will be con- strained to launch, a new program to the extent necessary to keep us at least abreast of any of the other powers"
 Harding Not Consulted
 President Harding was not con suited by the committee with rela- tion to its limitation conference re- quest. Tho project for negotiations apparently came as surprise. It was originated by Chairman Kelley Of the naval appropriations subcom- mittee.
 The chief reason prompting MT. Kelley to propose a new naval con- ference was understood to have been the light cruiser program recom- mended by the navy general board No mention of this is included in the published copies of committee near ings on the bill. The program urged, however, as necessary to keep the United States navy on parity with other navies in cruisers, included l6 pew light cruisers within the 10000 tot, size limitation of the Washing ton treaty and to cost S16S,0 100000. The committee also eliminated from it's published hearings testimony of naval intelligence officers in the program of construction abroad ! Presumably 1t was this information and the recommendation as to. new construction made by the general hoard tc check post treaty compe- titive building through diplomatic negotiations.
 Little Hope For Success
 Administration officials who were closest to the Washington arms con ference deliberations expressed the view tonight that there appeared lit tie liklihood of success for new ne- cotiations to limit in accordance with the "5-5-3" or some other ratio inc size of cruiser and submarine fleets. The conference, it was pointed out. in prolonged discussions had found no basis of agreement possible on these points or as to fighting air craft. The French position in opposi- tion to limiting submarine fleets. it was added brought a specific re- vision by British delegates of the rights to build anti submarine craft without restriction save as to the maximum size of cruisers, 10000 tons and illmltatlOn ol tue AHdAtAAoth sl1S of guns they could carry to eight inch weapons
 In addition to the new cruiser pro- gram the committee is known to have been informed as to the gen. oral boards recommendation that a start be made in modernizing the rre-Jutland battleships, the point be- ing made that Great Britain has al- ready remodeled to large exten. So increase gun range and deck pro- faction her capital ships to be re- tained under the treaty.
 The American modernization proJ- ect would cost in the neighborhood cf s6o.0O0,0 ,000. it has been estimated. Lacking such remodeling work. American 14-inch gun ships would renain outranged by otherwise sim liar hut modernized British ships by five miles, navy officers have de- cIared.
 Faced with this double prospect of heavy naval expenditures in the fu- t-ar. Chairman Kelly turned to the eient of the accepted capital ship ratio in search of way 70 saich outlays