19 NOVEMBER 1921, Page 2

When the Conference reassembled on Tuesday,. Mr. Balfour at once

accepted the American 'proposal with hearty good will. Mr. -Hughes's speech, he said, had been a great ,historic event. Mr. Balfour reminded his audience _ahat, unlike „America- " impregnable, solid, self-sufficient "—the British .Empire depended entirely on sea communications. Our friends must not forget our strategical weakness. Nevertheless, he agreed with Mr. Hughes's scheme in spirit and in principle. The proportion to be observed between the threet•Naviee was- accept- able and the, proposed limitation of their size was reasunable. Mr. Balfour remarked that the burden of land armaments, which Europe found so-severe, mustle.dealtwithinnther wayes. :He suggested that Mr. Hughes_ had. not imposed sufficient restric- tions on the use of submarines. The maximum,submarine tonnage proposed by him -far• nxeeeded the tonnage actually possessed by any nation. Further, the use of large submarines intended for offensive purposes should be prohibited. Mr. Balfour concluded by saying that the scheme " made idealism a practical proposition," and by reading a 'congratulatory message from the Prime Minister.