New-York tribune., 1921-11-19
Firms With Contracts
for ''Super-Hoods'' Get
Word to Halt Activities
Until Further Notice
Estimate Saving
At $l28,0OO,O0
Closing of Shipyards Is
Directed and 10000
May Be Left JobIess
From The Tribune, Eu~ooeon .ur.o,

Copyright, 1921. New York Tribune Inc
LONDON, Nov. 18.-It was Great
brltain's turn to-day to spring the sur
prise in the disarmament discussion.
and she did so by suspending all con-
struction work on the four new suner-
MOOD battle cruisers which had been
ordered built. An order issued bv the
Admiralty last night and made public
to-day instructed firms engaged on con-
tracts for these warships to incur no
1urther liabilities in construction until
further notice, thus making the total
abandonment of these ships contingent
on the adoption Of plans for naval re-
duction.
None OF the keels of these four YES
sells has been laid, and if it is definite
~ decided not to proceed with their
construction virtually all of the s12s.-
100000 estimated cost will be saved.
Although the Admiralty's decision
was warmly welcomed by naval ex-
perts and was even hailed in some
quarters as meaning the doom of the
capital ship idea in sea programs.
warnings already have come from the
Clyde and Tyne districts, where the
shlps were to have been constructed.
that unemployment will be increased.
May Eliminate Capital Ships
Sir Percy Scott, who has led the cam
paign against capital ships. was esna-
cially jubilant to-day, saying: "This is
red-letter day for the taxpayer. He
need not fear that work will ever he
resumed on the four ships. If thew
had been built they would have been
no good, as one bomb would sink any
of them"
Vice-Admiral G. A. Ballard. former r
Admiralty director of operations, also
said that the abandonment of the Sill
per-Hoods might mean a decisive stem
toward the elimination of capital ships.
while Admiral Mark Kerr said: "This
decision is the logical outcome of what
is occurring in Washington"
". l.. Hlchens, chairman Of CammeIl,
Lard q Co., which shared largely in
the contracts for the armament of the
projected ships, also approved the Ad-
niralty order, saying, 81 think it. is
the natural thing to do. 1t is not wise
TO spend money on armament when the
outlook is favorable to disarmament. !"
The decision to build these ships was
announced in Parliament last August,
but it was not until October 25 that
the announcement was made of the
awarding OF the contracts to three
firms on the Clyde and one on the
Tyne.
Shin P1anfs 0vdered CI..oI
The Beardsmore company, which was
scheduled to build the hull of one of
the ships, already has issued orders to
close down the works. which were re-
opened this week after long period
or ldleness, and other plants will fol-
low suit.
Factories at Sheffield and Barlow
would have received important subsid-
larry orders, while the heavy guns would
have been made by the Vickers, Arm
strong and Woolwich arsenals.
1t is estimated that 10000 men
altogether would have been employed
for three years on all details on con,
struction.
Although the afternoon papers do not
comment editorially, their general at,,-
tude in presenting the Admiralty an
nouncement is that Great Britain has
given an unmistakable pledge of sin
cerity as regards naval reduction and
thSt the next question arising is
WHITTIER the United States and Japan
will follow suit.
Action Justified, Says Bellairs
LONDON, Nov is. (By The Asso-
ciated Press) s).-Commandcr Carlyon
Bellairs, who for time was lecturer
at the Royal Naval College, thinks the
order suspending battleship construc-
ton is perfectly justified. EVERY
Continued on next paae)