The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-18
Britain Would Retain
Dock Yards to Serve !
Peace Navy.
DELEGATES FROWN
ON SUBMARINES
Doubt Reported Superi.
Ority of Aeroplanes
Over Sea Weapons.

Great Britain expects to continue !
her government lock Yards. where
she now constructs her great war
ships. as vehicles for the main
tepance of that portion of her navy
not scrapped under the agreement
that is expected to be reached here
in Washington. by keeping them
intact the necessity of assembling
all materials in a yard where one
ship a year would he constructed
would be obviated.
This was made very clear last
night in an interview with one OF
the leading British representatives
now here. Under his instructions
he could not be directly quoted. But
he talked with amazing frankness
in clearing up mooted questions
concerning the British position. So
far as he possibly could, he cor
rected mistaken ideas that have
been set afoot concerning British
policies.
In effect he declared:
That Great Britain is extremely
anxious that a complete agreement
be reached on the entire program.
both naval and Far Eastern, and
es into the machinery.
That the British consider the sub
marine a weapon of assassination
and not of warfare. and because
CT it's capabilities of abuse it should
not be sanctioned for use by civil
ized nations.
That, while no one likes to be
Blown up, the use of the aerOplsne
and the like as a weapon of war
fare is allowable inasmuch as
through it's use the effect of war
can be carried directly to the op-
posing power.
Oppose single Yard Plan.
That so far as he was concerned
he had never heard of the sugges-
ton that a single yard be main
tanned in which one ship year
should be constructed in order that
the expertly trained personnel could
be held intact should the naval hol-
iday plans fall through. There
was no such intention, he said.
However. other members OF the del
eRation explained that there was a
misunderstanding of the original
suggestion. 1t never had been tn,
intention, they said. to have a capi-
tai ship laid down each year. In
stead 1t had been suggested that a
yard with such capacity be main
tained in which repairs and needed
replacements could be made. In
asmuch. however, as the govern
ment likely would be allowed to re-
tain all OF its yards to care for
the upkeep of the fleet still left.
this would serve the proposed pur-
of Eaanino thu n
gether.
That Great Britain having ac-
cepted the 5-5-3 proposals of Mr.
Hughes dealing with capital ships,
she had no desire to amend ii in
any way.
Would Eliminate Subs.
That Great Britain has not con-
sidered the submarine ratio because
she is opposed to the use Of the sub
marine in any form.
That criticisms of the progress
being made in the work of the ex-
perts now considering the naval
program is absurd. This
admittedly is the most perplexing
program ever suggested by any ma
tion to group of nations, and every
aspect of 1T must carefully be con-
Criticism of this sort was
characterized as most unreason-
able"
That the British admiralty has
been in no way convinced that the
development of the aeroplane has
made the capital ship obsolete. On
the contrary the British admiralty
has seen nothing to prove that this
Is so, either in its own experiments
or those conducted b. the American
army and navy off the Virginia
Capes.
That the British definition of the
noncapital ship type which 1t de-
sires to be allowed to continue max
ing and maintaining in commission
is the light cruiser used on the
trade routes. 1t was this type that
met the menace of the German raid
ers that threatened to force England
to her knees by cutting off the sup
py of food during the war. There
is no question that the British feel
very strongly on this subject. and
hope to convince the other delega-
tions that they should have all of
them that they may need for any
possible emergency that might arise
They have already dubbed them the
policemen Of the seas" and will
argue at length that they are
supreme necessity and should not be
brought under the Limitation ban.
That while the British do not see
why the naval disarmament pro-
gram and the problems of the Far
East and Pacific are of necessity so
intermixed that one cannot be set
tied without the other, they recog-
nize that certain phases of each
must be considered with similar
suggestions in the other.
That in accepting reduction for
the British fleet the British dele
cation necessarily must consider the
strength OF the French and italian
navies. Naturally it is most i'm
portant that all navies shall be
brought into the picture" was the
Way that this WAS axploinad