Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-13
Toxic Delegation, in State
ment to Conference, offers
to Cut CaIiber of Guns to
ID Inches.
NO MENTION Is MADE
OF CRUISER DEMANDS
General Agreement With Previous
Announcements of Britain and
United States Is Expressed in
First Public Declaration on Needs
and Desires.

Ry the Associated Press.
LONDON, February 13.-The
Japanese delegation, in state
ment given out this afternoon,
declared that Japan was ready to
accept a holiday in battleship
construction until 1886, to reduce
the tonnage of battleships to U.s.
600 and to reduce the maximum
caliber of guns to IA inches.
The statement, which had been
eagerly awaited in view Of the
British and American announce
mentS Of naval aims, said that
Japan also was ready to agree to
the prolongation of the life of
battleships from 20 to 26 years.
Japan attaches special impor-
lance to cruisers armed with g.
inch guns and wishes to maintain
"the minimum force sufficient
for the needs Of national defense,
taking into consideration the
forces possessed by other powers"
Age Limit Suggested.
The maximum tonnage of 6-inch-gun
cruisers should be from 1000 to 1900
tons and that Of fiotilla leaders and
destroyers should be equally limited, the
statement said.
The age limit Of cruisers was sug-
gested at 20 years and that Of destroy
ers at 16 years.
The Japanese statement generally
agreed with the previous British and
American announcements but, to the
surprise Of the other delegations, failed
to make any mention Of their demands
on the United States for q 20 per cent
Prime Minister Macdonald told the
House Of Commons today that there was
no present. intention Of inviting any
other naval powers than those already
represented to participate In the London
Conference.
He was asked II it was proposed at
any stage to invite representatives of
Germany to attend the sessions now
sitting.
Hope Based ON Kellogg Pact.
There Is no present intention of in
creasing the scope or size of the present
conference" the premier replied.
Great Britain bases her hope for
world peace on the BRAND Kellogg pact
ana looks forward to aperiod In which
armed conflicts need not be expected"
and on these grounds can limit her
cruiser feet to so instead of 10, Prime
Minister Macdonald added.
One Of the most definite technical
accomplishments of the conference to
date was reached Yesterday, when the
conference committee accepted the re-
port Of the subcommittee Of experts on
combining the British and French plans
Of category and global tonnage fleet
measurement.
Italy Plans No Statement.
Hope that Italy might make a state
ment OF definite naval tonnage figure
desires faded today when 1t was said
at the headquarters Of the Italian del
egation that Italy's position was so well
known that such q statement at this
time would be superfluous.
That position, In few words, Is that
Italy Is willing to reduce her tonnage
even to 100000 II the other continental
naval powers bind themselves to that
low figure.
The Italians hold that Italy's tonnage
must equal globally that of any con-
tinental power. Today that means her
tonnage must equal that of France; to-
morrow 1t may mean Soviet Russia, Ger
many or any other power with naval
ambitions.
The tentative figure Of 724,OOo tons
that has been the basis of speculation
as to the French tonnage demands will
certainly be considered by Italy as too
high, well informed Italian circles say.