New Britain herald., 1927-06-23
British and J. s. Delegates To-
 day Discuss Reduction Plans Without Agreement
EUROPEAN WRITER'S SEE
 POSSIBLE JAPAN TREATY


 ually Come About to Replace the
 Old Anglo-Japanese Agreement -Open Discussion Favored.
 Geneva. June 23 R1Lort Robert Cecil, British delegate to the tri- partite naval conference and Hugh s. Gibson, chief of the American delegation. today held a private meeting to discuss the proposals of their respective countries for fur ther naval limitation.
 No advance toward an eventual agreement was made at the confer ence, the most reliable information being that both confined themselves to an explanation and denfense of their respective proposals.
 MT. Gibson told newspapermen that there was no reason for being less optimistic about the outcome of the conference.
 All Wait Agreement.
 He said that the people of the United States, Great Britain and Japan were all anxious to find an agreement and were convinced that only patience and good will among the delegates were needed finally to work out a common basis for an accord. Tt Is natural to encounter Encouragement in the solution of individual problems" he said. "but without this existing, there would have been no need to call the con- ference"
 Favor Open Discussions.
 Questioned by an English corres- pondent as to why Washington per- mitted convocation of the confer ence and proclamation of differ ences in public without having me- gotiated with London and Tokyo confidentially in advance in an en- deavor to work out some sort of an agreement beforehand, MT. Gibson answered that such a procedure would have provoked general out cry because 1t would indicate that the United States was not proceed ing openly for the discussion of the various problems involved.
 Mir. Gibson emphasized that he and Viscount Cecil had examined the British and American proposals in an attempt to understand their mu- tual positions and added that noth- ing had occurred thus far which would justify less hopefulness in achieving a final agreement.
 Some difficulty lay in the fact that our three navies have different missions and different problems" he said, ESQ we must find a common dcnominator for everybody and so- lutions acceptable to everybody"
 Cecil Defends Plan
 It Is understood that Viscount Cecil did most of the talking at to. days private conversation and that in defending the British project. he emphasized the great economies which its adoption would effect through reducing the sizes of indi- vidual warships. It also is under stood that ne characterized the American proposals as lacking in definite scope because they were re- stricted to obtaining maximum ton nage figures to only three types of auxiliary warcraft.
 It is believed that MT. Gibson took the position that it was both unwise and impossible to reopen the Wash ington treaty. as would occur if the British proposal for a reduction in the size of were considered. The American delegate, 1t is believed. pointed out that the second Wash- ington conference, which will be held in 1881, will be convoked before the time arrives for the replacement Of any battleships of the great naval powers, and that in 1881 France and Italy, who are not participating in the present conference, will be pres- ent to take part in the discussion of all problems connected with the sizes of the bigger naval units, including cruisers.
 Concessions Possible
 The impression prevails in Geneva that the American delegation is so convinced of the fairness of its pro- tect that 1t will not countenance any fundamental changes, although naturally it will be disposed to make concessions on details which are GUS tomary at international conferences.
 Admiral Viscount Saito. the Jap anese naval expert. and Rear Ad- miral Hilary P. Jones. the American expert, are scheduled to hold pri- vate conversation late today and a meeting of the executive committee Of the conference has been convoked for Friday morning.
 Geneva newspapers go so far as to deduce from yesterdays meeting be- tween Mir. Gibson and Admiral Saito that the United States and Japan seem to be taking the iirst step to- ward an American Japanese alliance but there are no indications at Ge- neva of such a development.
 European Views
 Geneva. June 23 (UP)-Possibil- ity of an American-Jabanese al- liance, replacing the old Anglo-Jap- anese alliance. was foreseen by some continental political writers today as the outgrowth of the present naval disarmament conference.
 The Geneva newspaper "Le Gen. svois," speculating on the chances of such an alliance. points out Gibson's activity in seeking the support of the Japanese delegation against the Brit
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