Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-07
CRUISER SOLUTION
SOUGHT AS JAPAN
BACKS j. s. STAND
Demand That Brought I'M
passe Misunderstood, Brit
iSh Spokesman Says.
SAIT0 ASKS PREFERENCE
IN SUBMARINE TONNAGE
Advocacy of Low Limit on All Aux
iliary Craft, However, I'm
presses Britons.

GENEVA, July Calm came today
to the tripartite naval conference after
Yesterdays hours OF storm. with the
British, American and Japanese dele
cations armed with pencils. trying to
devise some solution for the cruiser
problem which will prevent a break
UP of the conference.
; 4 British spokesman said today that
both the American and Japanese ex'
! perts appear to have misunderstood
! the British figures and that an agree
ment could be reached if every one
would realize that Great Britain does
not intend to include projected build
ing programs in her cruiser figures.
hut only ships actually appropriated
for.
Indications now exist that the Brit
ish have been impressed with the jap
anese advocacy of the American move
for a low-cruiser limitation. In her
proposal submitted at yesterdays pri-
Nate meeting Japan adhered to a SyS-
tenn of linking cruisers and destroyers
and is understood to have announced
that she will accept a total tonnage
of 100000 for all auxiliary surface
craft. This Japanese estimate is con-
ditionll upon an agreement that the
United States and Great Britain would
accept for themselves 100000 tons
each of cruisers and destroyers COM
bined.
Wants Submarine Preference.
Japan also is understood to have
requested 10000 tons of submarines,
which is some 10000 tons in excess
of the maximum American suggestion
for submarines to be allocated to
Japan. This proposal would mean
that Japan is supporting the Amer
/ lean figures for surface craft, but
wants some preferential position re-
garding submarines
The original American proposal
was that the combined tonnage of
both the cruiser and destroyer
classes should not exceed $4,000
tons at any time for the United
States and Great Britain and that
Japan should not exceed 33o,00e tons.
Japan now proposes 100000 tons for
herself which. on the basis of 49,
600 tons for the United States and
Great Britain, would give her posi-
I tion somewhat improved over the
5-5-3 ratio fixed at Washington
for capital ships.
The fact that the technical ex-
perts were called for discussion to-
day was taken as indicating that the
Japanese announcement, while stag
! gering British hopes, had cleared the
atmosphere enough to permit re-
approaching the cruiser problem
from another angle.
Saito Announces Stand.
The British demand for 70-odd
cruisers of assorted sizes, with the
chances that their combined tonnage
would be nearer 100000 tons than
S00,0 900, caused the Japanese to come
out in the open with a protest.
Admiral Saito. their spokesman,
announced the Japanese stand at a
tea last night, to which all the plenl'
potentiaries were invited. He con-
tended that the interests of the world
would best be served by adherence to
the original minimum cruiser tonnage
figures of the United States of 25O.000
tons.
III we went back with a treaty
providing merely for revision upward
instead of real limitation" one face
tious son of Nippon remarked, we
would not dare land in Japan. We
would have to go to Korea. where
Admiral Saito is governor, and get
him to protect us"
Calls Figures Impossible.
w. c. Bridgeman, first lord Of the
British admiralty, said the figures
mentioned by Admiral Saito were i'm
possible as a basis of discussion.
From all that has been said by the
British to back up their contention
that large feet of small cruisers
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column A.