The Washington Conference, on Thursday, December 15th, definitely agreed to
the naval ratio of 5-5-3 between Great Britain, the United States and Japan. Japan is to keep her newest capital ship, the ` Mutsu,' of 40,000 tons ; America is to keep two ships of the ' Maryland ' class, of 33,000 tons; Great Britain may build two new battleships of 35,000 tons —considerably smaller than the proposed new ` Hoods.' The French delegates raised a storm of criticism on the following day by claiming for France the right to build ten battleships, each of 35,000 tons, during the " naval holiday," so that her fleet should be as strong as that of Japan. Whether the claim was purely formal or not Is uncertain. On Monday, however, M. Briand made it known that he had agreed to the American proposal that the French and the Italian fleets should stand to ours in a ratio of 1.7 to 5. Mr. Balfour has given notice of his intention to propose the abolition of the submarine. It is understood that America and France will object very strongly.
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