New-York tribune., 1922-02-04
Harding Ready to Halt
U0rhi on War Vessels
Cails o" Denhv for Fun Data
on Strips Ncm Building That
ire Hro.ncd TO BE Scr0pped

~rING TON, FEB. > By The AS
soc ated prcss).- Preparatory to
..ss.'rsion Of work or the American
cspital ships to be >cIapped under the
AsV4i treat. President Harding has
at ed Secretary Denby to provide him
fnm ediately with full Information as
10 the status Of the ships under con
st-uctior
a though the President does not ex-
n9ct t. take any Affirmative step toward
& ~apriug the ships until al the powers
h''e rotifed the treaty, IT is probable
that there may be q suspension of
0rrh on all ol tine prescribed vessels
within 4 few days
Plans of thc Navy Department. so far
- HnoVu, are for suspension Of con
strnciion work on those ships to be
tr' s:v perdiNc ratlication of the
r,sty. Contracts for the building Of
he "esSe would not be Cancelled. it
~ iNdicated. until tho Imitation pact
became effective.
Six rattleships and Four Cruisers
inc uGod IL thc shi0s under constrrc-
son and not to be completed under the
.raaty arc the SIX 4o.CpN- ton oattle-
hips and four o' the SIX battle crui.s'
-. One ship Of tire West Virxi,th h
-. now virtually completed. also is
& he destroyed as fighting unit.
''No's-h this will not be done until the
limitations treaO, : in effect.
wo Of the sis battle cruisers are
:" be converted into airplan. carriers.
: nroN IsioN TO that effect having been
ylade N the treaty in the seraratc item
aitaorizing the retention of not more
'"en two vessels Of SO 600 tons each for
the purpose
Final decision has not been made by
Vic Navy Department rs vet as to
phich two Of the three West Virginia
clase battles ships under construction
sre 10 he retained The original com
Nittee agreement in the discussion be-
tween the American. British and Jap
snesc delegations mentioned the Colo
ado and Washington as the ships tn
ne retained by the Un-,ed States as tn
equivalent TO tho retention By Japan of
The Mutsu L seems more probable.
however that the West Virginia will oe
retained and the Washington scrapped,
as some naval experts have figured
that a sAving of more than half mil
Ion dollar would be made in the ex-
pense of completion in that case
Work on Cruisers to Halt
Conversion of the two selected bat
tie cruisers INTO airplane carriers prob
ably cannot be undertaken until the
treaty has been ratified. so that work
on all siS Of these vessels probably will
be at standstil until the treaty. has
been put through the Senate
II has beer Indicated. however. that
the department might seek auth ority
OF Congress 70 transfer sums now avail
shic for the completion Of new battle
stlps and battle cruisers 80 the con
structlon of submarines and auxiliary
craft in the building program which
arc not affected by The treaty. Among
these arc the ten scout cruisers, for
which the department recently sought
authority TO increase the cost. due to
the failure of building materials to
have dropped in price to the extent
anticipated when the original estimates
were submitted
May Increase Claims
Suspension OF work on capital ships
rather than cancellation Of contracts,
It was said to-day at ne Navy Depart
mem. probably would increase The cost
to. the government Of the settlement
claims of contractors when the final ad-
'ustn'ent is made for the breaking up
Of these vessels This increase would
not be equal however. it was said. to
the expenditures necessary if work is to
- continued on the ships during the
time the treaty is under consideration
for ratification. The rate Of expeNdi-
tpre on construction now averages about
S5.000.0o0 a month.
In any event the government is fac
ing the necessity of formulating a def
mite policy for the navy. boz for the
period prior 10 the ratification Of the
naval limitation treaty and that iInme-
diately following the proposed reduc-
1on II naval strength. Pres dent Har-
dinf's request for information on that
subject wa taken as the first direct
step toward the formulation of this
policy. preparatory to presentation TO
Congress in formal naval appropria-
to-. bill for the ensuing year.