Evening star., 1937-03-28
JAPANESE REJECT
GUN CAL|BERL|M|T
Tokio's Reply to Proposal Of
Britain IS Handed to
Ambassador Give.


Lifting OF limitations on ndU.
armaments occurred December 81,
1886, as result OF Japdn's denuncta-
tion Of the Washington naval treaty
OF 1922 tn December. 1884, and the
failure OF the subsequent London
Nauul Conference year ago to
conclude new quantitattue restric-
tion on naval building.
QuantitdtiDe limitation arriued
at in form OF agreement betueen
United States. England and France
to limit ,Darship guns to II inches.
contingent upon Japans adherence
by April 1, 1887. Italy also had
promised to adhere il Japan did so.
BY Radio to The Star.
TOXIC. March 27.-The reply Of
the Japanese government, formally
rejecting the British proposal that
Japan join the other naval powers in
limiting the caliber Of guns on capital
ships to IA inches, was handed to
Sir Robert H. Give, British Ambassa-
dor, by Naotake Sato, foreign min
lister, at the foreign once here today.
The note said Japan could not agree
to qualitative. without quantitive, lin
itation, as set forth at the time OF
Japan's withdrawal from the London
Naval Conference last year
Japans refusal to Join the United
States, Great Britain and France in
limitation of guns to IA inches in
accordance with the terms Of the Lon
don agreement, to which Italy prom
;sed to adhere If Japan would, means
that all powers may mount 16inch
guns, or even larger.
Crafty Maneuver Seen.
The Domei News Agency quoted
Japanese naval officials as saying that
the British proposal made with the
full knowledge Of Japan's attitude,
must be regarded as an ingenious
and crafty diplomatic maneuver to
shift on to Japan's shoulders respon-
sibility for worldwide naval compe-
tition and utilize Japan's refusal as
an excuse for their own enormous re-
armament program"
0OlllCI gave VIII oSAo Va eAiS AAOpS
handed to Give today as follows:
The japanese government sees no
reason to change Japan's position, as
announced at the last London Naval
Conference. that qualitative limita-
ton without quantitive limitation is
inform the British government that it
is unable to accept the proposal to
limit the caliber Of guns on capital
ships to II inches, without being ac-
companied by Quantitive limitation"
The naval officials quoted by DOmei
were Of the opinion that the latest
London agreement would not restrain
naval building According to them,
Japan considers that quantitive linn
itation must be given first considera-
ton in naval disarmament and quail
.tative limitation second.
Treaty Signed without Japan.
|, The officials recalled that Japan
had proposed quantitive limitation at
the London Conference of 1896 on the
basis Of the principle Of non-menace
and non-aggression. but that Britain
and the United States would not
agree and Japan was forced to with
draw from the parley" After Japan's
withdrawal, the British. French and
Americans concluded treaty, Of
which limitation Of the gun caliber Of
battleships was the most important
qualitative feature.
"As Japan earlier expressed unwill-
ingness to join the new treaty" the
Japanese officials were quoted as say
ing, "the present refusal to accept
un-caliber limitation therefore fol-
lows naturally
According to the news agency. they
believe that qualitative limitation can
be effective only if it follows quantitive
limitation, and thus it is natural for
Japan to consider the new London
treaty entirely unacceptable, particu-
larly the gun-caliber clause"
tCopyriRht. 1879