Evening star., 1936-03-23
D0NNAWPACT
REV|SEDAT bEHEST
OF j. s. DELEGATES
20 Changes Will Not Alter
Essential Features OF
Arms Treaty.
DRAFTING COMMITTEE
COMPLETING ITS WORK
Limitation on Size and Arma-
ment Replaces Control of
Number Of Ships.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, March o:-Ths Drafting
Committee OF ne international Navs
Conference, in its final session, toosy
made ABOUT 20 more changes Ia the
text OF the new naval tresty, most OF
them at the instigation Of the Ameri-
can delegation.
An American spokesman said the
essential features of the treaty. which
had been known even before the COM
mittee set to work, were not altered.
although there were no less than IA
drafts written before the completion
of the text.
The treaty will be signed wednesday
at st. James Palace. the delegations
hoping it will 60 into effect January
l, 1897, when the Washington naval
limitation treaty expires, and remain
in force for a period Of six years.
Limits Size of Ships.
Although now only tri-power
treaty between the United States,
Britain and France, it will be left open
for adherence later by Japan anc Italy.
The chief difference between the
existing treaties and the new treaty
is the fact that limitations and the
size of fleets Is abolished and there will
be only the limitation on sizes Of ships
and guns.
Any power can build as many ships
Of any type as it wishes. something
now prohibited under the Washington
treaty Of 1922 and the London treaty
Of 1880. which will expire December
81, 1895.
The present treaties limited the
number of ships that the five powers.
Britain, United States, Japan, France
and Italy. could build, but all thought
of a continuance Of this "quantitative"
principle was eliminated when Japan
recently walked out of the conference
when its equality demands were not
met.
Ratio Of 5-5-s Wiped Out.
The ratio of 5-5-s is wiped out, as
far as treaties are concerned. This
is the chief thing in the existing
treaties to which Japan objected.
But. treaty or no treaty, it is ex-
pected that the United States and
Britain will try unofncially to main
tain their fleets at such q size as to
prevent alteration Of this ratio In
actual practice.
Limitation on the size OF battle
ships remains the same. $4,000 tons.
The powers agree. however. to con-
slider In 1910 possible reduction in
size after that year If experiments
on new ships. which each power
plans to build, show that reduction
Is feasible. from the standpoint of
their naval needs.
The size of guns is set at IA inches
Professionally. The five signatories
of the existing Washington treaty
must all agree on IA inches by jan
uary /, 1887, or the present maximum
of Is inches will remain effective.
Two Glasses Of Battleships.
Battleships for the first time are
divided into two classes: "A" or large,
and "B" or small.
The "a" class is from 1880 tons up
to 1000 tons. The 'B" class is from
5000 tons down to 100 tons. There
is a non-construction zone between
$500 tons and 5000 tons.
1t Is further agreed under the treaty
that the lowest size gun in the main
batteries of any battleship Of any type
must be 10 inches This is tie chief
distinction between small oattleSnios
sno small cruiSsf:, necsIse no cruiser
cohid nsVe 6 gun o. 10 incnes
Tine two catesories we're oeci6p6
(See NAVY, Page A-S.)