Elsewhere we have described and discussed the naval issues which
have been joined at Geneva in the Conference between Great Britain, the United States and Japan. Here we need only refer to the admirable statements, remarkable for their earnestness and frankness, which were made by Lord Jellicoe, Sir Frederick Field and Mr. Bridgeman. They explained in detail the British objection to the American proposal that the 5-5-8 ratio of the Washington Conference should be transferred bodily from capital ships to all the other classes. America would make the ratio apply to total tonnage in each category, with a maximum tonnage for a cruiser of 10,000 tons, a maximum tonnage for a destroyer of 8,000 tons, and no limit of tonnage for a submarine. Sir Frederick Field pointed out that nations always build up to the maximum size and that the American pro would probably cause the construction of ships lar than arc necessary. Lord Jellicoe added that in t British view 1,750 tons was quite large enough for flotilla leader and 1,400 tons quite- large enough for ordinary destroyer.
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