Tokyo, Dec. 11.
The following is an_unofTcial English translation of the Japanese naval" disarmament ""proposals Which have been communicated by the Japenese delegation "to. the Scerelatiat of the Conference for the Redueation and Linvlation of "The Imperial Goveriment, of Japan' take the utmost, invere'> ihe accomplishment of the work of figarmament, "as. constituting. a fsatequard of universal peace. The Imperial Government have: exerted their best efforts up to mow at ths General' Disnrmantent "Conference Snd'otherwise to contribute tthe fceomplishment of that grande: ule In ce-operation. with all. the Countries of the world concerned.
"As regards the proposals put forward. at the confefente by var= fous governments: and pacicularly posals as' well as" the' declaration Tide" by, the Right" Honourable Sitney Baldwin, Lord, Pry the United Kikedom, the taper Government appreciate that initia: fiver and have devoted very careful sue oth prponie but a shay Find eertaim points in thers who they do not see their way to accept 3 they stand, would desire to set Grand. there' owncpoine of Upon the avestion of naval sato: ment.
"On entering into the question of the qualitative and ake quantitative eduction of naval armaments, the Imperial Government would take thr point, of departure. the. Chree Most fmportantresolations adopted ome months, ago by the General Commitee concerning the principle disarmament anit criterions of @lsarmament andthe principle. Qalitetive disarmament? and Would request the conference to consider I henceforward as tte guiding. role satis to eect n reduction of all aggressive and offensive forces, and diy, taking fully into account the jeouraphieal position as well as the Special conditions affecting. the Yatious nations, to ative ae 6 fae "reasonable solution in strict conformity with the conditions a fealty "prevailing, so thatthe tonal safety and security of och fountey may "inno. Tespeet menaced, "The procedure for arriving at agreements plays, however, Bhportant.'ole"im the sue canferencen. it would seem Sty and almost. impossible Yor: such a grent world conference as this 0 Some. to any "agreement atone Stroke, seeing. that all the "details and every single ite iseunsed! byvall the count resented at the conference chy me certain eircuratan well have nothing to-do the" states" whove. representa ly nevertheless be "warmly ino means the way 0 record eanferance asa suees: "Tt a Just for this reason thas, in the sphere Gf naval armaments, the Japanese Government now propose The foe Fowing) as a practlal and effective method of. fasiitating the progress ff the Conference, and of following the guiding rule to which reference has been made: vi the first Place to initiate preliminary ne-Sates of America, Great Britain, tiation between the. United
France, Italy and Japan, Supgesied by the resolution adopted on Fuly 23 by the General Comin Hon, and upon cempltian of those negotiations, to divide the conven: tions' to be' agreed upon into. two parts, he. a general convention, and B''sciles' of special. conventions. Suc We migh arrange Sat to de uss" general matters and afterward Fegional and detailed questions EiWercould divide naval forces into such as are of powerful descrip: fom and depend' a" great deal upon comparative' "strength, namely fapllal "ships, aircraft-corsiers and first class etuisers (carrying guns above Gl inch call ore), and Such ave mote of a defensive, and Gonst-guard character and deeply Intucnged by the geographical pos Hon of, as well 83. by. the spe tonditiens obtaining en each country, Huei second class cue ferrying guns of snot move than inch calibre) destroyers, sub-Marines ete. The general. conven-Hon would' thus' effect Srstly a 'Quantitative reduction in regard Sil "types of vessel, secondly a uantiative eduction in regard. to capital ships, aircraft-carriers and first class cruisers belongittg tothe five. principal naval powers, these being the most unmistakable' means redding offensive power to allow 5 low avlimit as possible, and {hivily {0 agree upon a maximum of {ota tua, common f the Gass "cruisers, "destroyers, aube cipal naval' powers,_of secon
unrinen, ete: respectively.
"By special conventions, quantity. tive reduction with regard to second class cruisers, destroyers, and submarines would be undertaken as between these nations which are mutually and deeply interested, that an all-round equitable agreement could be brought about, on full consideration of the phic al position and the special circumstances of each country concerned. This method, as has deen explained above, seems to the Japanese Gov-ferment to. be the only. really Practical way of securing the ulti-Tate success of the conference.
"In conformity with the above point of view, the Japanese Govern-rent make, as affording the most practical and reasonable basis for! the world. conventions in question, the following. proposals:
"(A) General Convention. The general convention would. provide firstly for a qualitative reduction every category of vessels of secondly for a quantitative. red tion as' between Great Britain, the! United States of America, France, Italy and Japan applying tothe offensive types of vessel, and lastly for the determination of the maxi mum total tonnage, common to the five powers, of second class eruisers, destroyers. and submarines, respectively," To. explain" this reater detail we may take the pro-The seriatim as follows: (1)
limitation and reduction of the capital ships, aircraft-carriers, and. first class cruisers, respectively, of the five naval powers. (3) "An. agreement by Great Britain, France Italy, the United States of America regards second class, nage not to be exceeded by the selves maximum reduction by special conventions of tre total tonnage in each category to be actually ret ed by those five powers, within the, limit of the "maximum total tonnage above-mentioned. These special conventions, as will be mentioned later dri, would concluded on the basis of the total tonnage actually retained by each country, upon consideration of the geographical position and" the special circumstances of the coun-{tries concerned, (4) The limitation and reduction of the total tonnage to be actually returned by countries other than these five powers. This would be carried out by special conventions on the basis of their Present armaments, the geographic cal position and "special eireumstances of each being taken into consideration.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.