New-York tribune., 1922-12-02
Britt sh Deny
ScrappedshiPs
Are Obsolete
Embassy Issues Statement
at Washington Naming
Capital Vessels Which
Have Been Made Useless
Admiralty Lists Quoted
American Officials Con-
cede Britain Has Taken
Lead i'm the DismantIing

WASHINGTON. Dec. 1 by The As
sociated Prsss).-ln explanation Of the
statement regarding the serspping OF
warships made in the House Of Com
mons Wednesday By a representative
Of the British Admiralty. the British
Embassy tonight made public list
Of eight capital ships "already sold
and removed by ship-breaking firms FOR
breaking up" Eigh, other vessels were
named as in the first stages OF scrap
ping as defined in the Washington
naval treaty.
Tho embassy statement declared that
none Of these vessels was obsolete in
the sense Of the Washington treaty
and r. Leslie Craigis, secretary Of the
embassy. said that "had 1t not been
for the Washington conference none Of
these ships would have been serapped.' -
Both the embassy statement and DIR.
Craigie took exception specifically to
a dispatch Of The Associated Press
sent from Washington on wednesday
saying that 30 far the actual scrapping
OF wArships in the United States. Great
Britain and Japan alike had affected
only vessels which are formally elassi-
fed by each power as wholly obsolete
for naval purposes
Based on Admiralty's List
The information on which this dis
patch was based, 80 far rs Great
Britain was concerned. Is contained in
return" 20 the House Of Commons
made by the British Admiralty and
printed in July. 1922. showing the
ships which compose the feet Of the
British Empire. but "omitting obsolete
ships OF all classes" Copies Of this
return" are in the hands OF govern.
ment officials here.
None OF the eight ships enumerated
In the embassy statement tonight as
sold for breaking up IL included In
the Admiralty's return" These ships
are the batticships Dreadnought, Bel
lerophon. 81. Vincent, Temeraire. Her
eules and Neptune and the battle
cruisers Infexible and Indomitable, all
armed with twelve-ineh guns.
Six ships IneApacitated
Six ships are enumerated By the en-
bAssy statement tonight as rendered
incapable Of further warlike service"
which Is the language used in Part 2
Of the treaty 10 define "thc first stage
Of serapping" They are the battle
ships Orion. Monarch. Conqueror and
Agineourt and the battle cruisers New
Zealand and Princess Royal. The bat
tleships Erin and Collingswood. the
statement adds. are to be similarly
dealt with during the present month.
or these eight ships, only the Erin.
ConquoroT. Monarch, Orion. Princess
Royal and New Zealand are enumerated
in the Admiralty return 10 the House
Of Commons. They are noted as "to
be serapped under the Washington
treaty"
British Faith Unehallenged
The United States has a number Of
capital ships in the same condition. but
Secretary DENLY, in a statement last
September, indicated that il was not
proposed 10 scrap the vessels until the
Washington Treaty comes into effect.
II Is assumed in American naval circles
that all British capital ships armed
with anything larger than twelve-ineh
guns are being similarly treated.
There is no disposition in Washing
ton Official circles 70 challenge the good
faith Of the British government In any
way nor 20 deny that the British have
made greater progress toward scrap
ping ships actually GHoat than any
other power.