The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-08-30
NAVY ONLY
HALF THAT
Of BRITAIN
Equalization of the Fighting
Strength Depends on Carry
ing Out Building Program.
BY DAVID M. CHURCH.
international News Service.

international News Service.
The United States will take long
naval chance when it enters the
Forthcoming disarmament confer
ence, according to statistics Of naval
strength compiled by naval experts
for use by the American delegation
to the parley.
Win or Lose.
If the conference should agree to
abandon all present building programs
and maintain the navies of the leading
nations as they now stand, the United
States will lose out, for on January !
the United States navy was but half
the size of Great Britain's battle keets
and but twice as large as Japan's
navy. These comparisons are based
on tonnage figures and might be al
tered by a comparison of fighting
efficiency.
II the conference decides to let the
present building program continue,
the United States will win.
The present authorizations of the
navies Of the world would make the
navy of the United States equal to
that of Great Britain by 1924 and al
most double the size of the Japanese
navy. Japan's naval program does not
begin to approach that OF the United
States. and even her projected but
unauthorized program would not
make her navy equal to that OF the
United States by 1927.
All of these figures, however. are
based on tonnage, and the Naval
Intelligence Service has compiled
some interesting statistics as to the
relative efficiency of the three great
navies of the world which do not
give the navy Of the United States
the advantage in fighting efficiency.
At the present time the British
navy has supremacy over the Amer
lean navy in every style of fighting
craft, while the United States has
supremacy over Japan in battleships
and destroyers. BY 1924, when the
American building program is COM
pleted, this condition will have been
changed, for the American building
program will have been completed,
but the American navy, though equal
in tonnage strength, will still be out
classed in some of the modern fight
ing vessels.
Japan to Outclass U. s.
II the present programs go
through, the year 1924 will still find
the United States greatly outclassed
by Great Britain in light cruisers,
battlecruisers, submarines and air
craft carriers. At that time Japan
will also outclass the United States
in light cruisers and battle cruisers.
Inasmuch as there is a great diff
ference of opinion among naval ex-
perts as to the relative value Of the
battle cruisers, 1t appears from pres
ent statistics that the United States
stands to be outclassed in major
naval weapons by 1924 unless the
forthcoming conference decides to
put check upon the present build.
ing programs.
Japan's naval program is at the
present time largely projected and II
would appear upon bare statistics that
the Oriental nation stands to lose
more than any other nation as the
result of the disarmament confer
ence unless there is an agreement
TO junk some Of the vessels that are
already in commission.
II there Is to be any destruction of
vessels by order Of the conference,
then the United States may again be
the loser, for this nation has fewer
vessels which It can afford to give
up than Great Britain.