South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-01-10
MERCHANT SHIPS
MAY CARRY SIX
inch ARMAMENT
Draft Copy in Hands of Pow
ers Includes Several Wholly
New Features.
Provides for Fifteen Year Du-
ration OF Pact and Ten Year
Naval Holiday.

WASHINGTON. Jan. a.-The draft
treaty prepared by naval and legal
experts covering the five power con
tract for reduction and limitation or
naval armament was u the hands of
five delegations Monday O. lealously
guarded secret AS ~ its text The
various national groups are under
stood to have been informed by
Sec'y Hughes that both text and sub
stance of the proposed pact were
looked upon as highly confidential
by the state department set enough
leaked through the barriers OF sic
Ience thus imposed 20 show that nu-
merous wholly new features are i'm
Guided in the draft copy.
Among these it is understood a
proposal that the duration of the
pact be until 1881. Another new item
ifs the proposal t. limit the size OF
gums used on merchantships 70 six
inch cauber. ass compared 90 the
eight-inCh weapons authorized for
naval auxiliary craft.
still another is authority for the
construction OF warships on foreign
account within the jurisdiction OF the
five powers, provided the size llmi-
tations ON such ships laid down for
the five nations In the treaty are not
exceeded in building for am outside
power
Capital ship Agreement.
First among the general articles
stands that setting out the agree
meut as TO capital ships. Then in
connection with the appended lists
OF ships TO be retained and ships 10
be strapped a complete picture OF
the reduction and subsequent umi-
tation scheme already agreed upon
lis presented. The specific under
standing as TO tho "5-5-3" capital
ship ratio between Great Britain the
United States with fits later ampli
dcation TO include France and Italy.
IS understood to Dee i'm the treaty
itself the agreed future tonnage sta
tus of $4,000. sos. 600. $4,000. 49,
600. $4,000 being set out This sec
ton was the keystone OF the naval
limitation arcn.
Next follows the agreement TO
limit the size OF future capital ships
10 $1,000 tons and their main bat
teries 20 guns OF not more than To-
Inch caIber
Limit Airplane Carriers
The agreement 10 limit aggregate
tonnage in airp'ane carriers 10 Great
Britain 10 $4,000. United States
.135.OOO. Japan $1,000. France 10000.
Italy $4,000 follows. and Includes the
.27.000-ton limitation for carriers and
Ia new provision limiting their ar
mament 90 not more thar 10 s-inch
guns per ship. il cigHt-iuch guns
are used but setting no limitation as
to the number of guns per ship 81
smaller weapons are installed aboard
them
The agreement that auxiliary CRATE
other than airplane carriers shah NOT
exceed 10000 tons in displacement
and that they shall not carry larger
than eight-iuch suns comes next TIE
l0,000-ton size limitation is under
stood 10 bee held 10 apply 20 mer-
chant craft converted for war pur-
poses. which would prevent CONVEX
sion OF commercial ships Of greater
tonnage
Provisions for Scrapping.
The scrapplng provisions az 20 cap
ltal ships come next and provide that
they must be so disposed OF that
recOuversion for war purposes would
be impossible. a brief period of
months IS contemplated as the time
within which the guns turrets and
other military equipment must be-
removed. Wider latitude IS o. time
is given for ultimate complete die
position OF the ships themselyes.
however.
The experts have sanctioned SIX
ways in which this disposition may
be accomplished They are by sink
ing. by breaking Up. by conversion
Into commercial craft, by conversion
into harbor craft OK naval auxiliar-
les sue has supply. repair or cable
ships By use as targets or By en-
Payment as seaEoIng zunnery train
Ing ships, % shoot or be Ehot AZ.
Next comes the wholly new pro
vision requiring that merchant vcs-
els OF the powers shall be 50 con-
structed that they cannot carry
larger guns than siE-inch callbor.
This p4oviszon is calculated %
make armed merchantmen definite
-~~-~-~~~---~~-~---~---