The New York herald., 1921-08-04
BRITAIN TO CONTINUE
navy CONSTRUCTION
/. Until PACT IS MADE
Churchill Says Empire Can
not Sink to Third Rate
Power.
TO CUT DOWN TO BONE
Admiralty Secretary Says
Four Battle Cruisers
Will Be Built.
WILL HAVE 16-INCH GUNS
Government Willing to Cur
tail Programme in Order to
Avoid Competition.
WILL HAVE 16-INCH GUNS

New York Herald Bureau.
London, Aug. 3.
England cannot afford to go to the
disarmament conference as a third
class naval power, according to the
overwhelming opinion in the House of
Commons, which to-day by big vote
passed the navy estimates, which in
cluded the building of four capital
ships to replace obsolete ones
Col. d. C. Amery, Parliamentary
Secretary of the Admiralty, in advo-
eating the building Of four battle
cruisers of the Hood type. with 16
inch guns, this year. said the Gov
ernments policy was not one of COM
petition or challenge, but simply and
solely one of keeping up the navy to
an adequate strength. These new
ships will be the first in the British
navy to be armed with 16 inch guns.
The Queen Elizabeth class has Is inch
guns.
Problem Before Cabinet.
It was announced IN the House that
the Imperial Cabinet had considered
the entire problem of the naval security
of the empire and that the conclusions
reached were embodied in the following
resolutions passed at meeting OF the
Premiers of the empire:
while recognizing the necessity OF
cooperation of the various portions OF
the empire In providing such naval de-
fence as may prove to be essential for
security; and. while holding that
equality with the naval strength of any
other Power Is the minimum standard
for that purpose. this conference Is of
the opinion that the method and extent
of such cooperation are matters for
the final determination of the several
Parliaments concerned and any recon-
mendations thereon should be deferred
until after the forthcoming conference
on disarmament"
Col. Amery pointed out that other
nations were constructing whole battle
fleet; of vessels OF a type incomparably
more powerful tnan anything which APP
feared in the battle of Jutland He
stated that Japan had eight such ves-
more. that the United States was be-
ginning no less than twelve supreme
engines of war. while England had only
one post Jutland ship, and that equipped
with fifteen inch guns
For safety of Empire.
He said the Government felt that
they really were laying themselves open
to the charge of allowing the navy to
fall below standard, but they faced that
risk because OF the financial condition
of the country. He said that 1t was
not likely that Japan and the United
States would scrap the ships that had
been built or were already building, and
IL was therefore obvious that the laying
down of four British battleships or twice
that number would not affect in any
way the problem before the disarmament
conference. He called II a gradual re-
placement for the safety of the EN-
pire.
Speaking of the design OF the new
ships, he said they were not trying to
steal a march on other Powers. but
were attempting to bring their own
vessels up to date in the modern devel-
opments already adopted by their friends
and allies. The new vessels, he said,
would embody the lessons learned In the
war and would enable them to hold their
own with any vessels of the other
navies. He added that the ships would
be armed with sixteen inch guns be-
cause American and japanese ships
were likewise armed. He declared that
the Admiralty was satisfied that 1t had
obtained a form OF underwater protec-
tion which would, as far as possible,
meet all contingencies.
1t was the unanimously accepted opin-
ion. Col Amery said, that the capital
ships still we're the basis for sea power.
He admitted that the day OF the capital
submarine and the airship might come
but until then the capital ship would
remain the pivot of naval warfare.
Winston Spencer Churchill, Colonial
Secretary. defended the Government
position, saying that while there was no
conceivable cause for a quarrel with
either America or Japan, Great Britain
must maintain the construction of nee
essary vital units IL she was not to
sink to a third class Power II she de-
layed naval construction she would
sink to a position Of naval inferiority
from which she might never recover.
Opposes Minimum Basis.
Mr.. Churchill then said with much inn
pressiveness High hopes are based on
the Washington conference for the benc-
NJ of mankind. but unless we can as
sumo that the ships now building IN
America and Japan will be scrapped,
then no disarmament proposal which
might be agreed upon at Washington
would be relevant TO the decision this
house must take with respect 10 the con-
struction OF these four ships. The one
power standard is the barest minimum
England can conceivably adopt. and de-
lay already has occurred which has re-
duced that minimum to the finest pos
sible margin"
Mr.. Churchill said weak British
navy might lead TO disaster and force
Great Britain to make compromising or
entangling agreements In the desperate
hope Of supplementing her own resources
by the strength of others. and ex-
claimed:
Let us stand on our own feet Only
In that way at the Washington confer
ence shall we be able 10 play the part
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