The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-09
OPERATIONS HAVE COST NATION FIVE MILLIONS MONTHLY
Colorado, 90 Per Cent Com plete, Only Capital Ship to Be Exempted From Sus-
 pension Order
By AssOciated Prsss

ny AsAOrlANcu Efeea Washington, February s.-Con- struction work on 14 ships was sus- pended today by order of Secretary Denby, under direction of President Harding. The step was taken in an- tieipation of ratification of the naval limitation treaty which resulted from the Washington conference and under which only three of the vessels involved will be completed as war craft The other eleven, will be scrapped or converted to merchant ships under the treaty provisions.
 secretary Denby acted after As- sistant Secretary Roosevelt had dis cussed with President Harding inc terms of the treaty affecting the new ships. Mir. Harding approved the suggestion that wor. be brought to standstiii Immediately on the eight super-dfeadnaughts and six battle cruisers The building operations thus halted have cost the Government approximately $5,000,00O a month.
 Following ratification of the treaty contracts for the new ships will be cancelled. The ultimate cost to the government of this cancellation cam not be determined h, advance but naval officials believe that con siderable saving will be made through today's action.
 only one capital ship under con- structon was exempted from todays s suspension order. She is the Colorado ] mora than which will be retained in the perm ] anent fleet.
 List of Vessels
 ships on which work has stopped we're as follows
 he Washington, at the New York shpbuildlng corporation; tlle West slnia, Newport News Shipbulidine l x prydock company; the South Da- Sots, New York Navy yard the ind- lana' New York Navy yard; the Mon tsua Mare Island Navy yard: the x er h Garoli1n. Norfolk Navy yard. tss owa. Newport News Shipbuilalng ! < 1rydock dompany and fc Ma ssa- ; esstts, BethIehen Shipbuilding eorz por ion, FoIS River, Mass.
 rk also was ordered suspended 1n battlecruiscrs as follows:
 Lexington, Bethlehem ShipbuiIu- ing corporation; Constellat a Nc8- port New Shipbuilding ( nuas company; Saratoga, New snfes 1 building corporation; Ra0at
 port News Shlpbuiidinc 4ase ao company; constitutiop 4a tNs. es Estates Philadelphia ma While work on the battles Wlst Virginia and Washington was O 4ol ed stopped, one of these ships will as completed and added 10 the fleet when finished. Which is to be select ed for completion has not been de cided but it is indicated that the West Virginia probably will be named. IC is believed by naval officials that she can be finished more cheapIy than the Washington. a sister ship ot the post-Jutland class like the Col orado.
 Will Complete Two With the Colorado, the vessel thus selected for completion will make up ] the two battleships "of the West Vir- ginia class which the United States 1 is to retain to replace the Delaware and North Dakota of the present fleet which will be scrapped on comple- tion of the new vessels The pair form the American equivalent under the 5-5-3 naval ratio agreement of the treaty for Japanese retention of the battleship Mutsu
 The other battleshlps on which work was stopped are of the 10000 ton type armed with twelve l6-inch guns excluded from future naval es- tablishments of the treaty powers
 Of the six battle cruisers, two are to be completed as airplane carriers but work of converting them to that 1 type will not be undertaken until the treaty has been ratified. Plans for the conversion in accordance with treaty restrictions are now in prepa ration. Three of the ships are prac tically at the same point in construc- ton The two to be retained have not been selected
 Will Sell Others
 Further steps toward the carryln,s into execution of the naval limita ton treaty will be taken by the navy
 Continued on page two.