New-York tribune., 1921-08-04
Commons Gives Approval
After Churchill Asserts
Empire Dare Not Depart
From One-Power Rule
Must Keep Pace
With Other Navies
High Hopes in Disarming
Meeting, but No .Assur-
ance of Scrapped Fleets

LONDON, Aug 3 (By The Associated
Press The House of Commons to-day
voted in favor of the governments pro-
gram to build four warships to take the
place of obsolete vessels.
The vote followed defense bv the
Admiralty Of its plans to build only
four new battle cruisers of the Hood
type, to replace obsolete vessels. 1t dc
clared that it intended to do nothing
which might stimulate race of the
great powers in naval building.
Lieutenant Colonel L. c. Amery, Par
liamentary Secretary of the Admiralty,
led the discussion on the Admiralty's s
behalf. and IN announcing that the
completion of the four ships was not
planned before 1925 referred to the
building programs Of the United States
and Japan. The Admiralty, he said,
was laying itself open to the charge
of accepting the risk that the British
navy would be temporarily inferior in
strength to other navies, but it was
willing to face this risk in order to
avoid the possibility of inviting fresh
naval competition on the eve Of dis
armament conference.
Others Not Expected to Scrap
The object OF the disarmament CON
ference, said Colonel Amery, was to
endeavor to reach an agreement against
further expansion of the navies of the
greatest three naval powers. As it was
quite unlikely, he said, that the other
powers participating in the discussion
would offer to scrap the ships already
built or under construction, it was OBJ
Vlous that the building of these four
ships, or even twice their number,
could not in any way affect the prob
lem before The conference.
Contcnding that there was no ele
ment of challenge or provocation in
this policy of replacing obsolete ships.
ne said 1t was simply policy circum-
scrlbed within the narrowest limits
and postponed to the very latest date
consistent with the empires safety.
The Secretary's statement was fol-
lowed by an animated discussion in
volvng many references TO the relative
positions of Great Britain, the United
States and Japan and revealing the in
Washington conference.
Winston Spencer Churchill, Secre-
tary for the Colonies, replying in the
debate for the government, made ref
erence to the big building programs
in both the United States and Japan.
He contended that there could be no
conceivable cause for a quarrel with
either of these countries. Still the fact
remained that if England delayed an
other year the construction of neces .
sary vital units she would have to face
a position of definite and perhaps final
naval inferiority- would sink to
there, might never be able to recover.
Cannot Exist on Sufferance
owe should exist as a great power
in the world only on sufferance, Mr..
Churchill continued 1--WE have never
done that yet. Profound peace might
continue to rule in the world for many
years, but during that peace every one
would know Great Britan's day was
done. Everywhere it would be known
that the essential foundation of the
British Empire had been erased and
that this island, depending for four
tifths of its food and the whole of its
economic wealth and being as modern
state upon sea-borne commerce, WAS
pOWclleSS W htcp llStIl dilNc. except
by good will That would be melan-
choly sequel to the great war.
High hopes are based OH the Wash
lngton conference for the benefit of
mankind, but unless we can assume
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 to the construc-
tion Of these four shipsN 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 concluded by exhort-
ing the House to avoid a path which
might lead to disaster and force Great
Britain to make compromising or en-
tangllng agreements in the deS perate
hope of supplementing her own re-
sources by the strength of others.
Let US stand on our own feet MIR.
Churchill exclaimed. "Only in that
way at the Washington conference
shall we be able TO play the part Of
the real peacemaker, and only in that
way shall we be able to walk hand in
hand with the United States, not as
a supplicant for protection, but as
equal partners IN common victory
and in the fair future of the world"
Lady Astor declared that the United
States was absolutely in earnest
(contoutd on next paae)