Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-13
DRAFT IS HURRIED
ON NAVAL TREATY
Experts Strive to Have Terms
in Writing for Study
Over Week End.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 12.-The London
naval treaty, which in large measure
will eliminate world competition in
naval building for the next five years,
today began to take shape in definite
written form.
A draft was rushed into shape by
the drafting and expert committees
throughout the day in the hope of SUBJ
hitting it to the delegates by midnight.
It can thus be studied over Sunday.
So far the jurists responsible for
writing the treaty are holding their
own in their race against time to make
possible formal signature on Thursday
and the departure of the American
delegation homeward on the liner
Leviathan on April %.
The committee assigned to the work
of drafting labored at their task all
through the day and into the night.
They were aided by special treaty ex-
perts, under Sir Maurice Hankey, Sec
rotary general of the conference.
Experts Wait Outside.
The experts waited outside the COM
mittee room in st. James Palace ready
at moments notice to furnish advice
on the precise wording OF any doubtful
clause.
All outstanding points in the various
technical reports were approved this
afternoon by the first committee Of the
conference and will be presented at
the formal plenary session on Monday.
Among the reports considered were
those dealing with the scrapping OF
battleships, the definition Of aircraft
carriers, requirements and age limits. =.
France and Italy formally reserved
the right to build the capital ships they
are entitled to construct under the
washington treaty prior to the present re- end
year. This tonnage amounts to 10000
for each country, but the general under
standing Of the conference is that the
battleships will not be built.
According to the definite conference
scrapping program, the United states
will scrap the battleShips Florida and
Utah, one ship to be rendered unfit for
warlike service within IL months OF rat
ification of the London treaty and
finally scrapped within two years.
Is Months Limit.
The other ship Is to be rendered UNI
IL IOT SeTV1CS W1CAnA 40 4AAOAtoAAo SsAAee
finally strapped within so months.
The British Empire will scrap four
ships. the Marlborough, the Emperor OF
India, the Benbow and the Tiger, at
various intervals up to 80 months from
the date of ratification of the treaty.
The following capital ships are to be
retained for training purposes: The
United States, the Arkansas; Great
Britain, the Iron Duke, and Japan, the
Hi-Yei
These ships will be rendered useless
for warfare within II months In the
case of the United States and Great
Britain, and Is months in the case OF
Japan.
Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald,
Secretary of State StimSon and former
Premier Retire Wakatsuki are bent ON
finishing the major part OF the confer
ence work by next Thursday. The
French delegation, however, appears TO
be In no hurry. AdviceS from Paris to-
night indicated Premier Andre Tard1eu
did not expect the treaty to be formally
signed until after Easter.
Advance Party Leaves.
An advance party of the American
delegation left London today. to SAIL
from Southampton aboard the liner
George Washington, which brought
them here in January. It included
three admirals-Rear Admiral William
A. Moffett. Rear Admiral J. r. p.
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