Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-22
ENGLAND AND JAPAN
FIND FLAWS IN j. 5.
REPLACEMENT PLAN
Both Hold That America Would
Have the Advantage Under
Hughes Proposal.
MATTER is UNDER REVIEW


BY Associated Press TO Every Evening.
Washington. Nov. 2z.-Naval ex-
ptrts OF the three major powers stil'
were reviewing today the highly tech-
cical questions that have arisen In
connection with the American pro-
posals for immediate reduction OF tho
f. cts and a ten year naval building
holiday. The British and japanese
officers appear to have found some
detail on the plan which WIN requirs
treatment before there is final ac-
c'ptance
For one thing. the British havs
POINTED out the effect on the fleets
the American program would have IL
the fun measure Of Secretary Hughes
plan were carried into execution. The
plan proposes absolute cessation -
luilding for ten years; the fixing oe
the life Of a battleship az 20 years.
repls cement building 20 begin II years
after the ship 70 be replaced uas COM
pieted. this allowing three years FOR
construction Of the new ship.
Tne 20-year life rule aIore is a
rovel ono for other navies. Japan now
FIXES eight years as the lie OF capi-
t,h ships. beginning replacement with
in that period after a vessel is con-
ST ucted. She has not yet worked OUT
this eight year cycle, however. e1-
pecting with her present building pro-
cram 10 attain Il in 1923. Great Brit
ain has no replacement schedule 80
present. For two years prior TO ths
war she laid down five new battle
ships year and for years previously
four a year. This program was wha-
maintained her "tvo-povver- standard
now abandoned. II did not contemplate
a twenty-year active life for the ships
Great Britain and Replacement.
Applying the proposed American
replacement rule 70 the ships 20 BE-
retained by each power under tho
same program, Great Britain would
| have in 1881 at the end Of the ten
year naval holiday. when she might
begin replacement building. four bat
tleships that dated back % years TO
| the time. their ioeels were laid, four
going back 21 years and four &c years.
| Her newest battieships. ehe Rcyat
Sovereign group Of FIVE. were aid
down In 1914 and completed in 1913
under war pressure. They would De-
Is wears from date OF completion and
two years from the beginning of re-
placement vsssels when the holiday
ended.
One Of the four British battle cruis-
lers TO be retained, the Tiger, was laid
down in 1911 She would be ready for
replacement also in 1891. The other
three. the Hood. Renown and Repulse.
fwere war-buiIt and designed for action
lin the North Sea. Their value, excepr
for the special purposes they we're
built 70 serve in the war, the pre-
lvention Of German raiders from shoot
ing up the coast OF England, is probie-
NAUTICAL.
Americas Part in Program.
Applying the 20-year life rule and
the holiday decade to the ships Ameri-
Ca proposes TO keep, eight OF the IL
would be 20 years or more from tho
date their keels were laid in 1881. Two
lof them. the Delaware and North Da-
kota would be year passed their aI-
loted 20-year span before replacement
building could begin. They would be,
"a years old from completion before
the ships TO replace them were COM
missioned.
Maryland. California, Tennessee, Ida
tho and Mississippi, however. would
lstill have almost a decade each oc
. Iective life left in them when the holi-
Iday ended.
In the same way in the japanese re-
tanned feet, the Oldest Japanese bat
tleship, the Settsu. was laid down in
1911.
She would have but three year. Of
active life left when the holiday ended.
-Four others Of her six battleshiPs.
the Fuso, Yamashiro, Ise and Higua
would have from four to FIVE years to
sc before they were scrapped as worn
out and replaced. The Nagato alone
would have a decade or more OF
serviceable life left. and the four
battle cruisers. the Kirishina. Haruna.
Hi-Yei and Kongo. also would have
only four or five years before they
would be dropped from the lists ana
replaced.
/ See Benefit 10 United States.
Viewed in this way. there is some
reason to believe that both the
British and Japanese expsrts thin 4
Continued on page 10.
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