The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-16
NAVAL RATIOS TO
AKEPRECEDENCE
That For France and Italy Will Be
Settled Before Other Naval
Matters Discussed.
tey rhe AssoeIated Pressl

! WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-The ques-
| ton of naval ratios for France and
| Italy naturally takes precedence over
I other naval matters still to be deter
mined. Beyond it lie, however, the
! problems of submarines, which Great
! Britain viii raise as an issue of world
naval policy; apportionment Of air
craft carriers tonnage, in which Japan
has indicated an intense interest; de-
| termination of methods for scrapping
| sixty eight capital ships of the three
powers, aggregating 1S61,64S tons;
proportionate allowances for other
auxiliary craft; decision as to limita-
ton of merchantmen for war use, and
other less important elements Of the
limitation plan.
Apparently the decade naval holiday
| is a settled issue, so far as the three
major powers are able to determine
| it. Necessity for continuing some cap
| ital ship building for economic and
| engineering reasons was one of Che
first objections advanced in British
circles to the original American pro-
posal. The announcement to the com
mittee Of fifteen said in that connec-
| ton:
The naval holiday of ten years with
| respect to capital ships. as originally
proposed by the American government,
Is to be maintained except for permits
sion to construct ships as above stated.
This was construed as meaning that
Great Britain's necessities with rela-
ton to tapering off in naval con-
struction abruptly had been met
through the addition of two new sup
erdreadnaughts.
Despite the fact that the American
| battIeships Colorado and Washington
were named in the official announce
ment as to be retained under the new
plan, the Washington may yet he sent
to the scrap heap or otherwise dis
posed of. 1t was indicated strongly
today that further examination into
the cost and economic effect of scrap
ping the Washington or the West Vir-
ginia, sister ships, had disclosed that
it would be cheaper and more salts
factory to retain the West Virginia,
which is said to be farther advanced
toward completion than the Washing
ton, although launched month later
The Washington is under construc-
ton at Camden, n. J., and the West
Virginia at Newport News, Va. Should
the latter be selected for retention,
every major building yard on the At
iantic coast would have some work to
complete in the tapering- off process
before the ten year holiday takes eff
feet.
The change in the naval scrapping
plan was officially estimated tonight
as being calculated to yield an addi-
tiona1 saving of from $15,00O,000 to
S20,000,000 for the United States, while
it will add $6O,0O0,O00 or more to
Great Britain's expenditures and make
no change over the original proposal
for Japan. Great Britain will benefit /
more than the other two powe.'s, how
ever, in deferment of replacement
building with respect to her two new
est ships. Under the agreement also,
Great Britain will dispose at the end
of the ten-year period of the excess
of $500 tons in capital ships over the
United States, which she viii retain
during the holiday as compensation
for the older type of her present Royal
Sovereign and Queen Elizabeth bat
tleships as compared to the American
and Japanese ships of the Maryland
and Mutsu class.