Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-01

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tive of transferring tonnage from one
category to another.
1t il believed here that President
Coolidge was abiding to the obsolete
warships provision in d remark re-
Gently attributed to him. that the
British project involved too large a
navy.
As for the so-called transfer clause"
this probably will provoke vigorous
opposition both from the Americans
and Japanese. on the ground that it
would surround the building inten-
tons of the nations with uncertainty.
The official record of The meeting
Of the League of Nations preparatory
commission for a disarmament confer
ence shows that the delegations of
Great Britain. the United States,
Japan and Chile argued for the adop-
ton of Il system of dividing warahips
definitely into classes or categories.
Fight Led by Lord Cecil.
Lord Cecil Of England took the lead
in the struggle for Incorporation of
limitations in the Leagues draft
treaty. but was opposed by NJ. Paul
Boncour of France and Gen, De Ma
RIMS of Italy, who fought for a sys-
TEN of glohal or total tonnage. where
by the powers would be left free to dis
tribute their total feet tonnage among
the classes Of warships they deemed
best suited 20 their requirements of
national defense. The preparatory
commission adjourned without healing
this split between the powers.
Great Britain. the United States,
Japan, Argentina and Chile filed a
memorandum declaring that the cate
CORY system allowed a fairly accurate
comparison between the naval
strengths Of the different countries.
and that they believed IT made possible
and practicable an equitable allotment
of tonnage in each class of combatant
vessels.
The emphasize, furthermore, that
the system had been working salts
factorily since the Washington con
ference. at which it was applied to
battleships and aircraft carriers, and
that it had actually resulted in stop
ping competitive building in these
classes.
Change Subject for Talk.
Naval experts of the United States
and Japan are said TO find in the new
Great Britain now to indorse the total
tonnage theory which is backed by the
French and Italians. Indeed, this ap.
parently new Partially by the British
for the French and Italian idea is
one of the outsta nding topics in con-
ference circles.
The British plan, for instance, fixes
the maximum submarine tonnage of
Great Britain and the United States
at 10000 tons each. but does not
render the construction of this total
obligatory. since the last paragraph
extends liberty to the treaty sigma
tories to use their total tonnage in
the manner they think best.
The only exception is that the mum
Der of big cruisers would be limited
and that the sizes of individual sub
marines and destroyers would be cut
down to dimensions which the treaty
would specify.
Japanese Obtain Delay.
The fact that the plenary session
was postponed was looked upon by
commentators as a victory for the
treaty at any price" party. which
has adherents in all three delegations,
but the postponement was not at all
To the liking of the experts of the
British and American delegations, who
are said to realize that there can he
no reconciiing of the British and
American viewpoints and to feel that
nothing can be gained by the delay
The japanese, thanks to whose me-
diatiOn il appears the breathing spell
was obtained. seem satisfied. They
feel that nothing should be left un-
done. because. in their opinion, if
Great Rrita in and the United States
separate without All accord on linn
itation, and if the latter particularly
starts a big building program. Japan
would be hard put TO follow suit
Among number of nationals of
countries which are not participate
ing in the conference the opinion is
frankly expressed that the confer
ence IL being allowed to drag on too
long. French observers feel it would
he exceedingly unfortunate to permit
the parley to collapse in IA public SEES
better in the interest of good inter-
national relations for the delegates to
separate quietly after issuing II com
munique setting forth their respect
i've views on the main points al issue.
just AS did the delegates To the
League of Nations rrepa ia tory com
mission on Disarmament when. ear
lier in the year, they failed To agree
on the text OF satisfactory draft
treaty on n general reduction Of
ornaments.