The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-01
FOUROF MAJOR
fPO|NTSDEC|DED
BY CONFERENCE
Solution Of Submarine Problem
= Awaits Replies From Paris,
Tokyo, and Rome.
TWO WEEKS TO FINISH WORK
Question Of Right to Arm Mer-
. chant Ships in War Still
Unsettled.
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES,
International News Service.

, The drafting experts Of the five
big naval powers yesterday started
work on the construction of a
treaty which will incorporate the
decisions of the Washington con-
ference and define the limits of
the worlds greatest navies for the
next ten years.
Awaits Naval Settlement.
Actual completion of the document
must await the gathering up Of sew
eral loose ends of the naval agreement,
hut in its main essentials the agree
ment Is ready to put on paper. The
one outstanding feature yet to be de-
termined Is the question of whether
submarines are to be "outlawed," AS
demanded by the British and Ameri.
can governments. Japan, France, and
Italy have not agreed to this far
reaching provision. and the matter is
row under consideration in Paris,
Tokyo and Rome.
Two, Weeks to Complete Work.
Other details to be adjusted will pre-.
sent little difficulty. 1t is expected.
and the prospects are that two more
weeks will see the treaty drawn up
end signed.
The treaty will be written about four
main points. as follows:
1. The United States and Great
Britain shall each retain 1000 tons
Of capital ships, Japan 900, 900, and
France and Italy each 175,000 tons,
with no vessel armed with guns
greater than sixteen inches
2. In auxiliary ships, such as
cruisers, torpedo boats, ETC., the
powers are free to build as many
as their treasures can stand, but
none are to be greater than 10000
tons in size, nor mount guns Of
greater caliber than eight inches.
3. In airplane carriers, the United
States and Great Britain are each
to have five, Japan three, and France
end Italy two each, with none
greater than $1,000 tons in size. nor
mounting guns of greater caliber
than eight inches.
4. A ten-year naval holiday Is to
be observed solely in the matter OF
capital ships. with provisions laid
down as to methods Of replacement,
etc.
The minor details of the agreement.
some of which are already agreed
upon, include the methods to be FOL
lowed in scrappinR the thousands OF
tons of existing tonnage, whether the
treaty powers are to construct capital
ships for non-treaty powers, the estap-
lishment of a world standard for
measuring tonnage. etc.
Await Tokyo and Paris Replies.
No session of the naval committee
was held yesterday, as there was little
to be dealt with in advance Of a de-
cision on the outlawing Of the sub.
marine, as proposed by Elihu Root.
The expectation prevailed that re-
plies will be received from Paris,
Tokyo, and Rome over the weekend
and that by Tuesday 1t will be posi-
BILE for Secretary Hughes to call an
other meeting to settle the question
OF whether submarines are to be out
lawed.
Whether an effort will be made to
settle upon a policy OF arming mer-
chant vessels in time of war IL
considered doubtful Great Britain
has informally notified the powers
that so long as submarines are
permitted she will consider It neces-
sary to arm her merchant craft
in wartime, thus converting the
whole Great Britain merchant marine
into auxiliary naval ships.
The British want submarines made
pirates as a matter Of record. al.
though they freely admit they place
little faith in paper agreements"
covering so deadly a weapon.