The New York herald., 1921-11-28
MEDITERRANEAN IS
ZONEOF NAVAL RACE
Franco-Italian Rivalry Also
Affected by British Key
at Gibraltar.
| SITUATION rs ANALYZED
eraser SchOrnstheimer Says
Demand of Latin Nations
Is Strange.
SERIOUS INTENT DOUBTED
Submarines Could Enable
France to Be Grave Men
acc to England.
SERIOUS INTENT DOUBTED
ny eraser ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

by GRASER SCHORNSTHEIMER
Special Despatch to THE NEW York HERAED.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., Nov. 2s.
There Is something very strange IN
the French demand for comparatively
great battleship tonnage and in the
Italian demand for as great tonnage as
the F'rerch are to receive. Neither OF
these nations ever built UP to the
naval position to which they now seem
to aspire.
France laid down large programme
In 1912, which she has not completed
and evidently does not intend to COM
plete. Italy had class Of four 10000
ton ships on the stocks and when the
first one was approaching completion
work on all was abandoned.
Now, with the three leading naval
Powers reducing their sea forces, these
two nations are asking great naval
power.
In 1912 France was the fourth naval
power. During that year she laid down
three battleships of 2s,3oo tons and
itfuIS!ltl tiSiH LuC yC>ti pcAVLc liiS
Also in 1913 she laid down four other
battleships of around 25.S00 tons and
fifth ship OF the class In 1914. Then
came the war. French naval construc-
tion practically ceased. However. the
earlier three battleships Of the Bretagne
class were carried to completion in 1915
and 1916, but work on the other ships
was definitely suspended.
Naval Construction Halted.
! Some OF the great steel mills in north
ern France which were building the
great four gun turrets for these ships
had been captured by the Germans and
1t would have been impossible to COM
| plete the ships without expending great
industrial energy, which was more ur-
gently needed to produce supplies for
the army. Naval power wes not greatly
! needed by France just then. as the Brit
ish fleet was holding the Germans to
their bases in the North Sea.
| The French had the duty. until italy
came into the war. OF holding the Aus
trians to the Adriatic, but in consIdera-
was not an extremely difficult matter.
Because Of this fact France was able TO
supply older ships to aid the British In
the bonnbardnent OF the Dardanelles.
| IT was also proposed some time before
the war to build four other ships of even
greater size than the 25,200 tonners. but
these ships were never started because
of war conditions
I Since the war France has not COM
nj n Ia u1a- nj toI n
ships remaining under construction not
one has been finished. and 1t would seem
/ that France may not intend to complete
them. One vessel of this class is re-
ported to be converting as an aircraft
carrier. but it Is not certain that any
work has been done on the other four
/ vessels.
! It has been stated that these SHIPS
| should not be complete because they
are too far behind other modern ships.
To great extent this is true. The ves-
sells were TO carry 1874 inch guns. 1t is
I TO be remembered that the United States
has completed all Of our IA inch gun
ships. The French ships are now con-
sidered small ones, but they would
greatly add to the strength OF the navy.
and we're they considered necessary the
Rue Royal certainly would rush them TO
compile ton. This would seem TO be a
France does not consider great tonnage
seriously.
French Navy Weaker.
However. the French Navy is GER
/ ta.nly carnpa arativey weaker than Il
! has ever been during the modern history
/ OF France. But tho 1919 programme
provided for four other large ships.
/ which could have been laid down since
/ the war had the naval needs of France
! warranted. The best ships included in
TIE new French naval programme are
some fast cruisers of about 5000 tons.
In the face of these things the French
request for great tonnage does not seem
10 be consistent with her existing needs
II must he remembered that this con-
1 ference IS % liini. warvhip construction,
! no. to encourage e.
The Italians present another problem.
They want tho same tonnage allotments
~ the French. They argue that no
Mediterranean nation should he stronger
than another. During 1914 and 1915
italy started to build four largo and
( fast battleships. work on which was
stopped during tho war. The one ship
which had been launched. the Csracciolo,
II was once reported. was 20 be com
| pleted as n Timer, and then K was said
that she was 10 be turned into an air
craft carrier. 1t II understood at pres-
ent. however that she Is serving an an
oil hulk.
Nov all these ships were TO have been
thoroughly modern vessels. carrying
eight t5-inch guns and were 70 have had
2 speed of 25 krots. Had these vessels
been regarded az necessary 10 the Ital-
I'm Navy Il b. certain that the Admi-
ralty would not have pulled them off the
stocks Too much time and money had
been spent on them.
French Naval Needs.
The geographical position OF France.
however. makes a demand for fairly
large fret whether IL Is actually the
! intention OF tho Frcnc, to build srci,
fee. is n matter OF question. France has
two very distinct coast lines. one in the
Atlantic and the other in the Mediter-
ranear. Italy. on the other hand. is
entirely in the Maditerranean, and her
feet is not necessarily divided by her
coast. Gibraltar is the key 10 t'renc,
naval strength. and England holds that
:. key.
France does not ask for high seas