Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-02
ARMS CONFERENCE
ANNOUNCES NAVAL
REDUCTION PACT
Many Minor Far Eastern
Problems Are Adjusted by
Formal Vote Approving
Work of Confefees

w tASIl" 4N1 L OAN, Il Sb' Wy 80
ISOLATED Press.)-Formal assent of
the five powers to the naval limita-
ton treat, was given at the plenary
session of the Washington confer
ence today.
The action was taken after pres
entation of the treaty by Chairman
Hughes and brief d: ussion, fol-
lowed by an address by M. Sarraut,
of the French delegation, expressing
adherence of France. The sep
arate treaty regarding submarines
all poison gas was then presented
by Elihu Root.
The naval treaty was not read'
but Secretary Hughes outlined us
terms and declared that so lar as
capital ships were concel ned the
integrity of the plan proposed on
.alf of the American government
II been maintained"
Secretary Hughes, presenting the
naval treaty, announced he would
not read it.
Copies had been entrusted in conf
dence by the state department 10
newspapers and press associations
which pledged their faith that 1t
would not be published until it act
ually had been presented. Never
theless. some newspapers served
bv organizations others than the AS
sociated Press, published the treaty
almost an hour before it was re-
deased. 1t actually was presented
and released for publication at 1925
p. m.
Secretary Hughes gave a detailed
review Of the principal terms and
stated that the original American
proposal as to capital ships, While
changed in details, had been adopted
substantially.
1.-THE integrity of the plan present
ed on behalf of the United States,
said Secretary Hughes, has been
maintained and the spirit in which
that proposal was made, and in
which it was received has dominated
the entire negotiations, and brought
them to very successful conclu-
sion"
American Principles
There was applause when Mr..
Hughes said that the United States
retained the number of capital ships
proposed on November u, and that
Great Britain and Japan were sit
uated similarly, the latter with the
exception of the new battleship
Mutsu. The effect Of the retention
of the Mutsu, Mr.. Hughes contin.
ued, made necessary the changes in
the original American program by
which two dreadnaughts of the West
Virginia class are to be completed
and the battleships North Dakota
and Delaware, then scrapped.
In the American proposals, Mr..
Hughes said, four principles had
been governing. They were, first,
that all capital ships now building
doned; second that there should
be a further reduction OF naval ar
mament by scrapp1ng older ships;
third, that regard should be had to
the existing naval strength of the
powers, and fourth, that capital ship
tonnage should be used as a basis
for determining proportions OF aaxil-
larry craft.
These four principles, Mr.. Hughes
said,\ had been applied in negotiating
the naval treaty and had governed
it's agreements.
Touching the system of scrapping
capital ships, Mr.. Hughes said:
II might call this the denaturing
Of capital ships"
There was a ripple of applause
when Mr.. Hughes announced that
the old battleship Oregon would be
retained for non-cOmbatant pur-
poses, because the state of Oregon
wanted to keep it for historical and
sentimental reasons.
Secretary Hughes, in closing, said
that no more extraordinary or sig
nificant treat probably had ever
been negotiated.
OBVIOUSLY it means an enormous
saving of money" he said, land the
lifting of very heavy burdens from
the people.
This treaty absolutely ends the
race in naval competition. At the
same time it leaves the security of
the powers unimpaired, but it means
more. The best thing is the spirit
manifested by which we were able
to reach this conclusion.
I'VE are taking the greatest for
ward step to establish the reign Of
peace"
Defends France
After ecretary Hughes concluded
Mr.. Sarraut began a speech in
French, saying:
The ca loutlaged ghost of inn
rarialistic France which German
propaganda paradeS about the uni
verse, may still deceive a few art
less minds Int it will soon evoke
othing / smiles. The destruction
of German ambition cost France the
lives of l 100000 of her sons and the
devastating ravage of her MOST
/, osperous regions. Could France
have made to save the world such h
frightful sacrifice in order to be
charged now with wishing to re-
commence the crime which she has
helped to chastise?"
IF France needs an adequate
strength" NJ. Sarraut continued, 'is
it not because without those naval
means. she can not maintain naval
army, she can not muster on fc-
frontiers electives that are not all
found within IT, mother country,
but are scattered abroad in distant
colonies. Nor can Trance, without
WarShipS, insure the safety of trans