THE NAVAL RATIO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17966, 16 December 1921, Page 7

THE NAVAL RATIO.

AGREEMENT AT HAND. JAPAN TO RETAIN MUTSU. AMERICA GIVES ASSENT. NEW SHIPS FOR BRITAIN. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 7.10 p.m.) A. and N.Z. WASHINGTON, Dec. 14. The special representative of the Australian and New Zealand Press Association at the Washington Conference is able to state definitely that the United States consented to Japan retaining her new battleship Mutsu after a prolonged conference yesterday between Mr, 0. E. Hughes, Admiral Kato, and Mr. A. J. Balfour. Japan's acceptance of the ratio, which arrived in Washington last week, was unconditional, but was coupled with an earnest plea from Admiral Kato for retention of the Mutsu because of the intense feeling of the question throughout Japan. Mr. Hughes was most sympathetic and Mr. Balfour assented, stipulating only that there should be no change in the ratio and that Japan should scrap her older tonnage to balance the addition. The United States will kee'p the Colorado and the West Virginia, her two newest battleships, and Britain may either build two super-Hoods or adopt a new type of vfissef falling within the 35,000 ton proviso of Mr. Hughes' plan. The question is entirely a technical one, and the new naval sub-committee met tills afternoon to consider it.

At present opinion leans toward the construction of a new type of battleship by Britain, seeing that super-Hoods would he in a class by themselves. This development reacts on placement conditions as well as the naval holiday, but these matters are expected to be adjusted without a hitch as soon as the question of ratio is finalised.

Everything said by the American spokesman this afternoon bore out the opinion that a satisfactory conclusion of the naval ratio is at hand. He declared that very good progress had been made. The matters remaining for settlement are rather questions of detail than anything else. It is hoped that a definite statement will be made very shortly.

The spokesman indicated that the French and Italian ratio will not be included in that statement, which will deal only with the arrangements made by Brit'sin, the United States, and Japan.

According to a despatch from Tokio the Japanese Foreign Office has officially announced Japan's acceptance of the five-five-three ratio.