SPECIFIC PEOPOSALS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 143, 21 June 1927, Page 9

SPECIFIC PEOPOSALS

SUBMITTED BY POWERS

(United Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 21st June, 1 p.m.) GENEVA, 20th June. The Tripartite Naval Armaments .Limitation' Conference has opened. Mr. Hugh Gibson (United States) was appointed president. Each Power submitted proposals as a basis of discussion. The American proposal was for an allocation of tonnage as follows. America. Britain. Japan. Cruisers— 250-300,000 250-300,000 130-180,000 Destroyers— 208-250,000 208-250,000 120-130,000 Submarines— 60-90,000 60-90,000 30-54,000 The United States is willing to agree vrtth all naval Powers to abolish submarines. The Japanese proposal is: (1) That no new building programme be adopted, nor new ships acquired for the purpose of increasing naval strength; (2) that the naval strength of each Power shall be determined for surface auxiliary crafts and submarines respectively, on tho basis of the tonnages of existing effective ships and ships constructing, taking into consideration the tonnages of ships authorised, but not yet laid down, and ships attaining the age limit during the execution of authorised programmes; (3) that the construction or acquisition of ships in tho future be limited to replacements, duo consideration being given to equalisation as far as possible of the amount of annual constructions for replacements; (4) that small ships and ships of limited activity bo exempt from limitation.

SPECIFIC PROPOSALS.

The British proposal extends tho lifo of existing capital ships to twentysix years; reduces future battleships from 35,000 tons to something under 30,000; their guns from 16in to 13.5 in; limits aircraft carriers to 25,000 tons, with armament of 6in guns; acepts the existing ratio of 10,000-ton cruisers, carying Bin guns; the number required by each of the three countries to bo tho subject of discussion; limits future light cruisers to 7500 tons, with 6in guns, after tho number of 10,000-ton-ners lias been decided; limits destroyer leaders to 1750 tons, and destroyers to 1400 tons, with armament for destroyers of 5 guns; limits larger submarines to 1600 tons and smaller to 600 tons, each with sin guns.