Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-15
APANESE SUPPORT
|SPLEDGED T0U.S.
STANDO ON CRUISERS
Saito and Gibson Agree on
Necessity for Keeping Total
Tonnage Low.
C0NFEREES, WEARIED,
WANT PERIOD OF REST
U. S. Stand Unchanged as to Num-
Der of Large Cruisers, Despite
British Concession.

By the Associated Press.
GENEVA, Switzerland, July ia
private meeting today between Ad-
miral Niscount Saito, member of the
Japanese delegation to the tripartite
naval conference, and Hugh Gibson,
chief American delegate, Is understood
to have resulted in an agreement be-
tween them concerning the necessity
Of keeping the total cruiser tonnage
down TO the lowest possible level.
Viscount Saito and Mr.. Gibson aIe
said to have agreed also on the neces-
sity Of maintaining the right to mount
eight-inch guns on cruisers.
The British proposal has been to
limit the number of 10,000.ton cruisers
carving eight.inch guns. and to re-
strict the size of guns on other
cruisers to six inches. The japanese
possess some cruisers of about 1000
tons each with eightinch guns IN
stalled. 1t is understood that Japan
wishes to preserve the Hoerty TO
mount this caliber Of guns on otner
cruisers whose displacement may oe
under 10000 tons.
Conferees Are Wearied.
The excitement of the past few days
seems to have wearied all the pleni'
potentiaries. They appear TO ask
nothing better than an opportunity
for rest and for reflection on the
means of saving the situation.
The spokesman for the American
delegation said today that the dele
CATION was willing in principle to dis
cuss any conceivable details or the
projected treaty. He made as a pro-
vision for such discussion that the
British begin by fixing a total tom
mage for cruisers which would be con-
siderabIy lower than the figures they
have already advanced. The spokes'
mans statement was in answer TO
the speech made Yesterday at the
public session by W. &. BridSeman,
first lord of the British admiralty and
Britain's chief delegate. MIR. Bridge
man during his speech alluded to the
American objection to a tixation or
the size of cruisers and their arma'
ments.
American Stand Unchanged.
The Americans continue to express
the belief that the British must reduce
the total tonnage if 1t Is hoped to sign
a treaty. This view is maintained be-
cause of the Japanese insistence upon
a low cruiser tonnage which IS even
stronger than the American inslstence.
1t is known that the latest British
proposal brings the total cruiser ton
mage for Great Britain and the United
States to about 5000 tons. The
British are said to deem this con-
siderable concession.
In connection with Mr.. Bridgeman's
address, it is denied here that he ac-
cused Mr.. Gibson of changing front,
as was alleged in one report reaching
the United States yesterday. 1t Is
pointed out that nothing Of this sort
was contained in the text OF Mr..
Bridgeman's speech.
The japanese are trying to exert a
conciliatory influence on the situation.
The atmosphere might be described to-
day as slightly less tense, but with
solution of the cruiser difficulty not In
sight.
The Japanese technical experts held
a long session this morning, trying to
put into concrete form the suggestion
launched at yesterdays plenary ses-
sion by Viscount Ishii. This sugges-
ton was that Great Britain and the
United States content themselves with
10 cruisers each in the 10,000-ton
class. Japan, according to the ratio
plan, would have z. Viscount Ishii
also suggested that the older ships be
used for patrolling, conveying pur.
poses and the like, thus eliminating
the need for construction of many of
the smaller type of cruisers.
There was considerable uncer-
tainty today among delegates to the
conference as to how to resume the
tasks before them after the frank
airing of difficulties in which the
chiefs INDUCED at yesterdays pic
tureSque but unfruitful plenary ses-
sion.
Some Foresee ParIey's End.
Pessimists refuse to be shaken
from the belief that the session
marked the beginning of the end of
the conference, while the optimistic
were certain that all hope of an
agreement had not been lost.
There was no mistaking the
earnestness of the delegates desire TO
effect a settlement, but whether they
would be able to overcome the exist.
ing divergences was a question on
which authoritative observers would
not commit themselves. Neverthe-
less, the majority opinion seemingly
to the belief that an answer
to the cruiser problem must be found
soon or the conference would have
to admit defeat.
The retort of Hugh s. Gibson TO
the speech of Admiral Viscount Jelli-
coe, in which the chief American
delegate declared in effect that the
nations must think of peacetime
naval conditions and not always of
q war situation, was one of the main
points commented on in all confer
ence circles. Another was Japan's
publicly siding with Great Britain in
a plea to keep the number of 10000
ton cruisers of the United States and
Great Britain down to a lower fig
ure, like 10. with her own figure at Z.
Admits Situation MuddIed.
Comment has also been aroused by
the passage in the speech Of the
japanese delegate, Viscount Ishii,
that If a limitation treaty be OF such
a nature as to leave the nations in
possession of enormous armaments
The cause Of limitation would suffer q
serious blow.
1T cannot be supposed" he de.
clared, "that the existence side by side
of such tremendous engines of battle
would make peace any the more
A British spokesman admitted the
situation was considerably ''muddled,"
although, with characteristic persist.
sncy, he maintained the British would
'muddIe through" as they did In war
lime.
Answering questioners, a Japanese
said: Have you ever been
n bunkers? A golf course would DO i