The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-02-01
Good Feeling Dominates
Meeting Balfour
Springs Surprise By
Announcing Return of
British Concession To
Shantung Set
tlement Pleases

washington, Feb. 1.-FormaI aqree-
nent of the powers to the naval limi-
taton treaty was given at the pIenary
session of the Washington conference
today.
The action was taken after presen-
tation of the treaty by Chairman
Hughes and his brief discussion fol!
lowed by an address by M. Sarraut of
the French delegation, expressing the
adherence of France. The separate
treaty regarding submarines and pois-
on gas was then presented by EIihu.
Root. =
Washington, Feb. 1-At 1925 D.
m, today, Secretary Hughes present.
ed to the arms conference the texts
of the treaty for limitation of naval
armaments. f
The entire time of today's plenary
session of the conference.-the fifth in
its course-had been up to that mo-
ment consumed with the presentation
and adoption of committees resolu-
tions providing for the return of GER
tain sovereignties to China and the
announcement of the settlement of
the Shantung dispute.
The naval treaty was not read, but
Secretary Hughes outlined it's terms
and declared that so far as capital
ships are concerned 'the integrity of
the plan proposed on behalf of the
American government has been main.
tanned"
Speaking for the British, Arthur ].
Balfour declared there was no one
in the conference who did not rejoice
at the happy settlement" of ths@
Shantung question. The result, he
said, was particularly gratifying to
Great Britain because of her interest
in the far east. El
description of the terms of the.
naval limitation treaty, which will bel
found in another column, outlines the
result agreed upon betewen the big
five" following the dramatic an
nouncement of the American propos.I
ais by Secretary Hughes at the on
ening session of the conference on MOI
vember 12.
Just before the presentation of the
naval treaty and after the resolu-
tions affecting China had been quick.
ly adopted without dissent, the Shan
tung agreement was announced and
described with satisfaction by the rep
resentatives of China and Japan.
BaIfour Springs Surprise
Arthur Balfour, heading the British
delegation, described it as 1.-The crown.
ing work of Secretary Hughes and the
representatives of China and Japan"
and then threw in another surprise by
the fiat announcement that Great
Britain would hand back to China her
lease on Wei-Hai-Wei.
Secretary Hughes, presenting the
naval treaty, announced he would not
read it, because copies had been dis
tributed generally (copies had been
entrusted in confidence by the state
department to newspapers and press
associations). which pledged their
faith that it would not be published
until it had been presented. Neverthe-
less. some newspapers served by or
ganizations other than The Associat-
ed Press published the treaty almost
an hour before it was released 1t ac-
tually was presented and released for
publication at 1926 p. m. g.
Hughes Reviews Treaty
Secretary Hughes gave a somewhat
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. ss
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
1t was received has dominated the
entire negotiations and brought them
to very happy conclusion" 4.
There was applause also when Mr..
Hughes said that the United States
retained the number of capital ships
proposed ON Nov. IL and that Great
Britain and Japan were situated sim Z
ilarly, the latter with exception Of
the new battleship Mutsu The effect
Of the retention of the Mutso, Mr..
Hughes continued, made necessary
the changes in the original American
program by which two dreadnaughts
CT the West Virginia class are 70 be
completed and the, battleship North
Dakota and Delaware then scrapped. \
Four Principals Govern !
In the American proriosals, Mr.,
Hughes said. four principles had been
gov rning. They we're first, that ali
capital ships now building and con-
tenn atcd should be abandoned: seq
ond. that there should be a further
reduction of naval, armament BY
scrapping older ships; third, that re-
gard should be had to the existing
navsF strength Of the powers ana,
fourth. that capital ship Tonnage
should be used as a basis for deter
mining proportions OF auxiliary craft. \
These four principles, Mr. HnghHs
said, had been applied in ueg0tiaI ilie
tha naval treaty. and had hrsss.,.S,..4 t&.. n