The New York herald., 1922-04-09
Admiral Taylor's Board
VIII Recommend Process

Rear Admiral David w. Taylor,
Chief Constructor of the Navy, is at
the head of a special board of Ad-
mirals studying the best means of dis
posing of the warships. The board
is about ready TO make its report,
recommending plan for the DISPOSE
ton of the vessels for the best in
terests Of the Government and in COM
pliancc with. the terms OF the treaty. X
Under the program which is likely
to be recommended the. vessels aresto
be stripped Of portable furnishings.
navigation instruments, guns and
similar equipment and sold 10 the
highest bidder They are not all TO be
put up at one time-not. as might ap-
pear on the surface. because of a
singer Of injuring the junk market
nut rather to keep from Cutting the
ship wrecking market which, IN
America, is small. 50
since the negotiation Of the naval
treaty, at the recent Washington Con-
ference for the Limitation of Arna-
ment, many suggestions have been
made as to the possible means of dis
posing of the vessels. The idea that
z.e ships might be sunk In much the
cSme way as were the German war
ships turned over TO the United
states under the terms of the armis-
;;rc was discarded. of course. as need
less waste. The sum OF $2,5oo.o0o. or
oven Al 500. 600. In much better than
nothing. The suggestion, also. that
the vessels be converted INTO mer-
chantmen has been sdle. as II is not
permitted under the terms OF the
treaty.
Much more time than commonly is
supposed is allowed for the disposi-
ton OF the vessels. The treaty pro-
vides that the warships arc to be put
ant OF service as such within six
months after tie exchange OF ratin-
cacions between the Powers. and that
after that a year Is allowed for their
final breaking UP. or. altogether
period of eighteen months from tho
time OF the exchange Of ratihcations-
lust when the exchange will take
Mace nobody knows AZ yet. The re-
cent ratification Of the naval treaty
nv tho United states Senate Is only
part OF the procedure, The other sig
natory Powers-Great Britain. Japan.
France and Italy--rnIst notify the
washington Government OF their rati-
fication. and it must be proclaimed
before tho period OF disrosing the war
ships Ii 10 start.
In a way this is regarded as fortu-
nate by thosc charged with the dis
position Of the warskips. because. just
at this time. the junk market is at
very low ebb. If the vessels were to
he put up for sale to-day they prob
ably would bring much less than - q
ton. The expectation Is. of course.
tina. the market will recover by the
time the warefips are to be destroyed.
In all. the United States is to dis
posc OF twenty-seven warships, six
teen OF which are completed and
eleven partly built. The completed
vessels have gross tonnage of 250.-
n0o tons. while the ships that were in
building were to have a gross tonnage
of $40. 900 tons. but actually, at the
present period OF completion. around
500 900 tons Those In building had
progressed to n stage where not much
additional weight was to be supplied.
the finishing work being the installa-
tion OF lighter furnishings.
"The navy will. OF course. remove
All fitttings that can be used on otker
vessels" Rear Admiral Taylor ex-
planned to-day. Furniture. for in
stance. will be taken Off. Furniture
DOES not last long at sea, and the
navy Is buying or building furniture
All the time. All the navigation in
sfrumcnts will be removed. as will be
other Instruments Of use only aboard
hattieships. AS for stripping the
ships much beyond this point. except
for tho guns 7 cannot see how ti.is Is
advisable.
Country isn't Going
Into the Junk Business
The suggestion that the United
states so into the junk business we