Japan in Favour of Completing Before Ratification Tokio, July 3.
The vernacular papers' this morning positively assert that Japan is prepared to suggest to Britain and America a three Power conference with the object of completing the Washington Naval Agreement without waiting its ratification by France and Italy, though the latter's ratification only awaits the Royal signature.
While confirmation of the foregoing is at present unobtainable it is regarded as highly probable as it is a well-known fact that Japan desires the Treaty provisions to be enforced in order that the scrapping programmes may be completed, her naval economies realized, capital ships ratios established and the guarantees thereby offered secured, It is further well-known that the Premier, Admiral Baron Kato, wishes to see his efforts at making agreements, which are now in the forefront of his national policy, successfully crowned.—Reuter.
Washington, July 3.
The reports to the effect that Japan is preparing to propose an agreement enforcing the Washington Naval Treaty without further delay do not find an echo in official circles here, where it is pointed out that expensive naval building programmes were in progress in the United States and Japan when the Treaty was negotiated and the ships are still on the shipways in both countries with work suspended but the contracts not cancelled, The same circles assert that the delay in ratification by France involves a continuous burden of expense to both Governments, but there is no sign of a definite move towards a separate Three-Power Agreement.—Reuter. fWokio, July 4.
It is authoritatively stated that the Naval Department has instructed its attaches informally to sound opinion in Britain and America with regard to the proposed ree-Power conference with the object of completing the Washington Naval Agreement without waiting for ratification by France and Italy.
The continued cost of maintaining the vessels which would be scrapped under the agreement is hampering preparation for the 1924 estimates, and, therefore, according to naval opinion, some action is desirable to bring about enforcement of the Treaty.—Reuter. 7
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.