Omaha daily bee., 1922-02-09
Work Oh IA.
Warships.
Suspended.
sp,a
Action TO Stop Build .,o
in Anticipation HS''''''
proyal of Naval LIN.
iation Treaty.
Will Cancel Contracts

Washington. Feb. S.-Construc-
ton work on ~ capital ships was
suspended today by order OF Secre-
tsfy DENLY aud direction OF Presi-
dent Harding. The step was taken
in anticipation Of ratification OF the
naval limitation treaty which re-
suited from the Washington confer
ence. aud under which only three Of
the vessels involved will be COM
peted as warcraft. The other II
will be scrapped or converted to
merchant ships under the treaty.
Secretary DENLY acted after As
sis,ant Secretary Roosevelt had dis
cussed with President Harding the
terms of the treaty affecting the
new ships. Mr.. Harding approved
the suggestion that work be halted
Immediately on the eight super
dreadnaughts and six battle cruisers
pending final action on the treaty.
The building operations thus halted
have cost the government approxi-
mately $5,000,000 month.
To Cancel Contracts.
Following ratification OF the
treaty, contracts for the new ships
will be Cancelled. The ultimate cost
to the government CT this cancella-
ton cannot be determined, but naval
officials believe 4 considerable saw
ing will be made through today's
action.
Only ono capital ship under con-
struction was exempted from to-
days suspension order. 1t is the
Colorado, more than 90 per cent
complete and which will be retained
in the permanent fleet.
Vessels on which work was or
dcred stopped included eight first
class battleships: The Washington,
at the New York Ship Building cor
poration; the West Virginia. New
pert News Shipbuilding and Dry
dock company; the South Dakota,
New York navy yards; the Indiana,
New York navy yards; the Mon
tsna. Mare Island navy yards; the
North Carolina, Norfolk navy yards;
the Iowa. Newport News Shipbuild-
ing and Drydock company, and the
Massachusetts,, Bethlehem Ship
building corporation, Fore River,
Mass.
Work also was ordered suspended
on six battle cruisers as follows
Lexington Bethlehem Shipbuilding
corporation; Constellation, Newport
News Shipbuilding ard Drydock
company: Saratoga, New York
corporation: Ranger,
Newport News Shipbuilding and
Drydock company; Constitution and
United States, Philadelphia navy
yard.
To Complete One Battleship.
While work on the battleships
West Virginia and Washington was
ordered stopped, one will be COM
pleted and added to the feet Which
is to be selected has not been de-
cided, but it has been indicated that
the West Virginia probably will be
named.
With the Colorado, the vessel Sc
Iected for completion, will make up.
the two battleships "of the West
Virginia class" which the United
States is to retain to replace the
Delaware and North Dakota, which
will be scrapped. The two form
The American equivalent under the
3-5-5 naval ratio agreement for Jap
snese retention of the battleship
Mutsu.
The other battleships on which
work was stopped are Of the 100000
on type armed with II l6-inch guns
excluded from future naval estab-
ishments of the treaty powers.
OF the six battle cruisers, two are
% be completed as airplane car
,iers, but work of converting them
o that type will not be undertaken
Until the treaty has been ratified.