Evening star., 1921-11-09
BRITISH NAVY ARMS
POLICY EXPLAINED
Armament Reduction Put in
Two Periods-0ne Now
Being Entered.
by PAUL SCOTT MOwRER.

The British plan for naval dis
armament. not only In the present
conference, but gradually extending
and increasing in the future, is oaseo
on the principle that each nation Will
inevitably keep the force 1t considers
necessary to It's national defense. IN
accordance with the position wnich
it occupies in the world. A conh-
Dental memorandum prepared re-
Gently for the league OF nations oy
British naval experts foresses tnae q
lssl6e MI scosuEs when, under she
a..snaces oS this or some other in
transitional .organizatioh, each nation
viii, be able to count upon the others
in case of unprovoked aggression.
But this 1t is said. presupposes
that all nations become members Oh
the league, and that complete CON
fidence prevail between them. Dis.
armament must. therefore: be DIVIDED
into two periods: One, later, When
ali states are members OF the league.
and when a spirit of confidence pre-
walls: the other. that upon which we
are now entering.
Naval Rivalry Suicidal.
The last great armament rivalry
the memorandum points out. was pro
yoked by Germany, a nation Whicn
did not really need a large meet ios
defense. 1--WE are again in perloo
Of peace. and 1t ought 10 a., De esaaSai navai
rivairy would be suicidal folly" The
hasis for Limitation Of armaments
at the Washington conference, II ls
declared, should be the status quo
leading to further gradual ana auto
.
,creases. The first agreement reached
should aim at stopping new construc-
1ion FOR given number of years.
1T is not absolute. but relative
strength that each nation desires IN
order to maintain its sa1ety. II no
tb;s Citation. there Is no reason why
the absolute force maintained ny
each nation should not gradually
diminish" rh., al,
states have become members raI ot InG
league. and when tnere id is viii Siiie' he
for+hcominr in case Of aggression,
n.raI strength must then be based
.,aoa mao two things, national safety and
tnptornational Epor obligations. National
safety is a matter or relatayg .uT;t, e
than absolute strenstm ssae,+ re,atiye
,r.ater or lesser importance
.,h;cb each particular nation assigns
W +ha sea. The principal factors IN
s,,ch a case would be the following:
Nine Principal Factors.
81. The absolute and relative auan-
.,.;a. of foodstuffs brought from
overseas ,,..,v. ou.n,
<;+T ~ raw materials brought from
o:' 70 The absolute and relative guam
tity of other elements OF primary
necessity brought from overseas =,
49, .conomic life Of the country.
tx The demands of the various
,,rt= of a single state on maritime
Communications in order 10 maintaih
as The total tonnage Of merchant
marine owned by the .ls,,is s.aes' of maritime
commerce. 81.
20 The possible results. were the
.+.ta cut of in time of war from ac-
csss to the sea for a given time.
30 Any special circumstances.
"The figures thus obtained Tor eacn
state in regard to each OF the above
egeS show the relative dependence
en the sea Of the various states.
Considering the Future.
Considering now the later period
~ mutual confidence. It Is argued
that the principal and most frequent
arm to be employed by the league OF
nations would be naval force, in the
FORM of the boycott and the blockade
these being quicker, easier and more
humantsarian than any manifesto
tion. Of military force. As the league
vii, have no force Of its own. 1t must
Senend on its members to contribute
the quota necessary. 1T follows that
certain members mus. maintain the
Necessary naval strength to obtain
and exercise naval supremacy in case
~ need. In the interests Of efficiency
II is essential that the number OF
Nam hers chosen to this end shau not
iced two or at most three. in order
To reduce to q minimum the Difficult
ti.s of combined action and command
ssrhe three nations most adapted
wo,,id seem to be the United States
Ianan and Great Britain, which have
not only the proper experience
.Tacilities and financial resources, but
a reoeraphical situation such that
tho forces Of one or the other car
onerate without loss of time In any
mart Of the world"
frnrvrivht 1907 1