New-York tribune., 1921-12-12
Details of NAVY
Cut To Be Left
To Diplomats
Conference Is Expected to
Decide All Questions of
Policy, but Much Will Re-
main for Future Action
Scrapping To Be Defined
Extent to Which Warships
May Be Utilized in Com
merce Must BE Settled

"~AoAAAN NAN NiN, oec. IL by me Az
sociated Press). --- While the fore
shadowed acceptance by Japan of the
"fve-five-threc" naval ratio, cornerstone
OF the American naval limitation plan,
Will leave much to be decided, it does
not follow. in the opinion of American
conference officials, that the confer
! ence itself will have to pass on all that
must be done. The remaining work
on naval matters, it is said, naturally
divides itself into two classes. They
are decisions involving policy and
those merely dealing with details un-
der policies already approved.
The conference must act on all policy
questions. In this group lie the
Franco Italian naval ratio determina-
tion; the British desire to reduce the
tonnage OF each power In submarines
and possibly to Ii lit the size of future
subme mersibles; the suggested modif-
cation of the ten-year naval holiday
plan to permit some building as neces-
! sary for protection of shipbuilding
knowledge and skill, and final determi-
nation of fleet ratios in airplane car
riers.
Tasks Left to Diplomats
In the other group, it is expected,
will be found such questions as agree
ments to the methods of scrapping ships
slated for destruction; ways and means
to control conversion OF merchant craft
into war vessels in war time rules OF
warfare as applying to new agencies,
such as submarines, air craft and poi
/ SnarIf1p p,.{ 40 81
ratios in other auxiliary ships besides
airplane carriers. 1t is held the con-
ference could we'll leave some at least
of these points to expert discussion
and final settlement through ordinary
diplomatic channels.
A particular point in the latter class
is the method to be followed in scrap
ping capital ships. This necessarily
involves such disposition of the vessels
as will make them impossible of ready
reconversion into war craft. Yet there
will be strong tendency to salvage
whatever can be saved for ordinary
commercial or other purely non-com-
Blatant use.
Already it has been suggested that
three of the six American battle cruis-
ers could be made into safe, fast pas
senger liners, type of merchantmen
lacking in the present American com
mercial fleet. The three ships under
consideration have been completed up
to the water line. At that point, naval
experts figure, it would be possible to
continue construction so as to produce
purely passenger vessel instead of q
potential cruiser. Changes would be
necessary, so that the vessel never
could be restored to war purposes, ex-
cept to the extent that any other com
mercial ship might be used as an aux
iliary for war.
Craft Similar to Water Line
Outside of special hull construction
to afford protection against submarines
and mines, warship hull is practi-
cally the same as that Of liner up to
the water line. In the battle cruisers
| some'o che engines and at least eight
knots in speed would be sacrificed if
the ship was changed to a liner and
these changes would be permanent. No
change back to cruiser construction
would be possible, experts declare.
The same thing is said to apply to
battleships. There is possibility that
those not too far advanced in construc-
tion could be changed into intermediate
freight and passenger service boats, but
naval experts have not gone far enough
! to determine if this is practicable
and economical suggestion.
There are various non-combatant
naval uses to which new or old capital
ships might be put when stricken from
the list OF fighting ships. Already one
old American re-dreadnought, the
Kearsarge, has been made over into g
fleet craft ship. She now has no fight
ing quality. Similarly it might prove
expedient to use n battleship or two as
repair or supply vessels, stripping them
! beg ond possible restoration of fighting
characteristics, offensive or defensive
These are all technical matters, how.
ever, which naval experts probably will
thrash out after the conference itself
has adjourned.