to Confer London, Feb. 13.
Considerable regret has been caused in official circles in Washington, London and Paris by Tokyo's reply, delivered yesterday evening. rejecting the request of the three Powers for information regarding Japan's naval building plans.
The next step is likely to be further conversations between Great Britain, the United States, and France in order to decide upon the extent to which the three Powers will avail themselves of the Escalafor clause of the London Naval Treaty.
It is understood that the United States Government takes the view that there is no further point in trying to engage in talks with Tokyo *at present. The Japanese reply is taken to mean that the Japanese will enter into conversations only if the 5-5-3 ratio is scrapped in.favour of the common upper limit which Japan demanded at the London Naval Conference.
This limit is totally unacceptable to the United States Government, since it entails an increase, rather than a reduction, in naval building Paris Regret Although the refusal of Tokyo to reveal details of her naval programme had been anticipated in Paris, considerable regret is felt in French official circles that the Japanese reply contained no conciliatory proposals.
These circles believe that there is no reason to admit Japan's formula of no qualitative limitation with quantitative restrictions, which are regarded as merely aimed at defeating the ratio of 5-5-3 between Britain, America and Japan.
It is felt in Paris that Japan means to be unfettered by any international agreement, Such an attitude, it is stated, obviously must cause anxiety. 5 The Japanese reply caused no surprise in London, says Reuters [Diplomatic Correspondent. The Note; he adds, should serve to clarify the! situation. It will now be for Britain, France and the United States to consult together regarding the position.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.