Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-26
i. S. WILL INSIST
UPON PARITY WITH
NAVY Of BRITAIN
Permanent Peace Treaty
With Japan Also Interests
Officials in Capital.
IRRITATION EXPRESSED
OVER GENEVA ARTICLES
Statements in Connection With
British Proposal Resented Here.
Toxic Supports Stand.


lnsstence upon American 21va
parity with Great Britain, down tt
the smallest war craft, and int, rest ir
the undercurrent of discussion at Ge
neva of a. possible Japanese American
permanent peace treaty, ct aracterizeo
official Washington reaction yester
day as the naval limitation conference
closed it's first week.
Although the japanese treaty ques
tion still is far from an official diplo
matte status, reports from Geneva
that such a pact might develop from
the naval deliberations attracted Keen
attention. They come at time when
the United States and France are con
sidering procedure for negotiating a
similar agreement to outlaw war.
Coincidentally, the Japanese Ambas-
sador. Tsuneo Matsudaira, called on
Secretary kellogg yesterday. presrm-
/ ably to discuss developments at Ge-
neva. Afterward Mr.. Kellogg said
the subject of a peace treaty was not
. mentioned. His only comment was
that no formal notice of Japan's in
tention to propose a treaty had been
received, and that the relations be-
TWEEN the two countries were as
friendly as those of the United States
and France.
Irritated Over Statements.
There were indications yesterday OF
Irritation here over the flood of state
ments published in Europe in connec-
ton with the British naval proposal,
chiefly articles by an Admiral b. de-
- Dx,tk irI, ev
on the sea. They brought forth
statement by one high official that this
Government will not and cannot ac-
cept anything but parity with Great
Britain on every class of ship.
The American Government can see
no reason why the British Empire
should have superiority on account
of trade routes or possessions or any
other reason, and it was emphasized
that at the Washington Arms Con-
ference the British delegation agreed
10 an equal ratio for all classes Of
ships.
Coupled with the insistence upon
naval parity was a strong belief that
Great Britain will not press much
farther her proposal to go back to
the 1921 treaty to scale down the
maximum tonnage agreed upon for
battleships, airplane carriers ana
cruisers. Recognizing that the
British program, with rigid econ.
omy as It's keynote, would be welI
received as good politics IN EURO
pean chancellories, observers de-
scribed it as a gesture which had
now served its purpose.
Japanese Also Opposed.
In the event the British do insist
upon the treaty revision, however, 1t
was expected they would encounter
the stern opposition of the Amer
scans and Japanese. Ambassador
Hugh Gibson, head of the American
group, and the japanese delegate
have cabled the British proposal to
their governments and negative an
awers from both capitals were fore
cast.
It was pointed out here that Gibson
took detailed instructions on that point
! to Geneva with him and 1t was as
sumed that his presentation of the
matter was merely for the State De-
partment's information.
The chief objection to revising at
present the 1921 pact-the absence
from Geneva of the French and
Jtalians-was reinforced today by re-
iteration of the Departments conten.
tion that the conference was not
intended to reach an agreement which
would be effective beyond 1886, the
year in which the arms treaty may
terminate.
Under the replacement tables agreed
on at Washington, no battleships may
be replaced until 1881 In that year,
it was again pointed out, the sigma
tory powers will meet to consider
wholesale revision of the pact. There
fore, it was maintained, it would be
unwise now to agree to reduce battle
ship tonnage from the present $4,000
ton maximum to below 10000, as pro
posed by the British, when different
figure may be settled upon in 1881.
DELEGATES DECLARE HOLIDAY