Evening star., 1934-12-29
NAVY RACE DENIED
BY SA|TO IN ENDING
TREATY FOR JAPAN
Toxic Calls Again for Equal.
ity as Minister Here Dis
cards Pact.
ENVOY HOPES NATIONS
WILL AGREE BEFORE 1887
Future of World Fleets in Doubt
After Visit of Oriental
Diplomat to Hull.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Japan scrapped the Washington
naval treaty today, calling once more
for a new pact which would give her
equality and wipe out all offensive
weapons of war"
The historic moment the world has
been awaiting came when Ambassador
Hirosi Saito stepped into the State
Department and handed Secretary
Hull the formal notice that after De-
cember 81, 1886, Japan will not be
bound by the treaty, which gives her
the IS" in the famous 5-5-3 ratio.
The Oriental diplomat, who was
present II years ago when the treaty
limiting fighting navies was born,
thus sounded its death knell. In a
statement he expressed hope new
treaty could be agreed upon within
the next two years. Japan, he said, is
willing to discard half her navy If "a
common maximum limit" for the
United States, Great Britain and the
Far Eastern empire is established.
Fears No Navy Race.
He said he was mot at all anxious"
about the possibility of naval race.
THE peoples concerned are all in
telligent," he said, land their gov
ernments are rational. No one
wishes to engage in damaging naval
building competition"
A statement by the Japanese for
eign Office spokesman explaining
Japan's action was made public by
the embassy here.
In view" it said, "of the present
state of extra ordinary development in
warship, aircraft, and other weapons
of war, the existing naval treaties
which recognize inequality of arma-
ments among the powers can no
longer afford security of national
defense to Japan.
For this reason, the new treaty
should rest not upon a ratio prin-
ciple, but on the formula of an
agreed common upper limit for the
armaments to be retained by each
power"
In order" it said, "to render 1t
difficult for any power to attack an
other, but easy to defend itself, the
offensive arms should be totally abol-
ished or drastically reduced. and the
defensive arms aoeQuauely PROVIDED.
"Offensive Weapons"
The giant battleships and airplanes
are included in offensive weapons"
according to Japanese definitions in
the past
The inferior ratio $50 detrimental to
| our national prestige" the statement
said, lis bound to remain source of
permanent and profound discomfort to
our people"
1T is our firm belief" the statement
concluded, that when the other pow
erS, appreciating the essential fairness
of Japan's claims, consent to make
sweeping reduction in fighting strength
along the lines proposed by our gov
ernment, then a full measure of Sc
curity will be afforded to the powers
through the elimination of any pos
sible menace from one another, and
an enduring peace established upon
solid basis
Under the Washington treaty's pro-
visions, the earliest date on which the
pact can be scrapped is the one chosen
by Japan today-December 81, 1886.
Japan's formal denunciation fol-
lowed unsuccessful talks in London
designed to smooth the way for the
1885 Naval Conference.
Other Pact to Die.
Another naval treaty, the London
pact, automatically ends December 81,
1886. Thus there will be no inter-
national agreement limiting navies
after that date unless a new one
is signed.
The denunciation today came as an
hnti-climax to more than years
discussion of naval affairs.
Japan's action was taken after
dt had built up to within one small
ship of the total tonnage permitted it
by the Washington 5-5-3 treaty.
Some time ago Saito said there
would be mo naval race, at least
until 1912" That is the year when
the United States, now rs ships under
treaty strength, expects to have built
up to the pact's limit.
Saito served his governments no
tice on the United States because this
country Is custodian of the pact. The
Estate Department must now notify
Great Britain, France and Italy, the
other signatories.
Signed February, 1922.
The treaty was signed at Washing
bon February 6, 1922, and proclaimed
by President Coolidge on August 81,
e23.
Charles Evans Hughes, now Chief
Justice of the United States; Elihu
Root and the late Senators Henry
Cabot Lodge and Oscar w. Under
/, wood negotiated the pact for the
United States.
Its main provisions include:
The five nations agreed to build no
capital ships (battleships and others
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