Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-07
AMERICA BENEFITS
BY RATIO CHANGES
BY JUNIUS b. WOOD.
Especial Dispatch to The Atlanta Journal and
Chicago Daily News-Copyright, 1921

Especial Dispatch to The Atlanta Journal and
Chicago Daily News-Copyright, 1921
; WASHINGTON. Jan. 5.--A pie
nary session Of the conference, the
first since December 10, is planned
for Friday. 1t is to announce the
programmes the reduction Of naval
ReRAass+4&. The general principles
have been agreed upon and the
final details are practically complet-
ed. Five powers are concerned in
the agreement which will be present
ed. AS they are the principal naval
powers of the world, it's effect will
be practically universal.
Through the agreement in its final
form will fall short Of the drastic re-
duction called for by the American
program, it will be a great stride to-
ward world peace and an end of the
present naval race. 1t is far greater
than the most sanguine dreamed the
powers would assent to two months
ago, The reductions proposed by
Secretary Hughes however were so
sweeping that a new goal was set
with the opening of the conference.
That it could be reached was impos-
sible considering the varying needs
Of the different powers. What has
been accomplished is close to that
goal, more than mere beginning,
and what remains undone can be
\ accomplished easier, now that the
worlds thought andA progress has
been turned toward peace.
In each classification Of naval
craft there is an increase over the
original proposals. Regardless Of
the criticisms which have been
aroused against the various powers,
chiefly France and Japan, which
have proposed the notifications to
the proposals, the fact remains that
the United States is not injured by
the changes which have been made
in its own program and IL anything
the American navy is strengthened.
The change in the allowance of
capital ships was made chiefly as
result of the insistence of Japan
that the new Mutsu which has al
ready been put into commission
should not be scrapped. At the same
time the United States is enabled
to retain two almost completed SUI
per-dreadnaughts instead Of two of
the old ships which it was proposed
to retain, and which would have
been obsolete before the end of the
naval holiday, necessitating the
building of new ships to take the
place of the almost completed ones
being scrapped. Great Britain must
go to the expense of building two
Hoods which have not been started.
Frances refusal to accept the SUBJ
marine program also reacted to the
benefit of the American navy. The
American naval plan called for the
largest, submarine fleet Of any pow
er. Instead of reducing it to $4,000
tons as the United States was will
ing to do, it remains at 10000 tons,
q scant 5000 tons less than was
originally planned.
The same stand of France also
saves the United States from hay
ing a navy practically devoid OF fast
auxiliary cruisers. Great, Britain has
announced that if France insists on |
a large submarine fleet she must |
be given a free hand in building |
counter defense craft. The United |
States has the privilege Of equalling |
the British fleet in every branch,
and will have the opportunity of |
building the cruisers and scout ships |
which her navy now lacks.
The United States was ready to |
make all the reductions called for in
her program even though the blow
would fall harder on her navy than
on that of any other power. That
the others refused to make these
cuts brings joy to the heart Of the
American naval officer, for the
10 h. q
navy with it's proper quota of super
dreadnaughts, cruisers, submarines,
destroyers and other craft. It will
be much smaller than contemplated,
but the navies of the other powers
will be smaller and it will be suf-
ficient for our national needs and
,ooO1Irooc