Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-22
NAVAL

Tic Sci o1 laS navy AL
forms congress, that Great Britain
has done more scrapping of dread
naughts since the armament treaty
than any of the nations that signed
the naval disarmament treaty, in
GLIDING ourselves. Neither japan
nor the United States have done
much scrapping of dreadnaughts,
though both have ceased new con-
struction. Japan has been very
active in adding light cruisers and
other war vessels of under 10000
tons, as they have a right to do
under the disarmament treaty,
which places no limit on that sort
of naval construction. Great Brit
ain has also been active in adding
light craft to her navy. Uncle
Sam has added fewer of these ships
than either of the other two
powers. France and Italy have so
far, refused to ratify the treaty at
all up to date and of course are
not bound by it. In fact our
Outstanding is that none Of the
powers signing the treaty are
bound by its terms until it is rati-
fled by all. In fact the Washing
ton disarmament conference and
the five-power treaty that came
out of it seems pretty much of a
failure up to date.
The naval appropriations bill
contains a provision asking the
president to call a new conference
to supplement the old one, and put
a limit to the construction of war
ships. under 10000 tons similar to
the provision in the five-power pact
relating to warships of over 10000
tons. 1t is an open secret that the
administration here has been try
ing its darndest to do that very
thing through diplomatic action
and failed up todate. In fact 1T is
a very bad time to make the at
tempt. Great Britain came within
an ace of naval war with the Turks
the other day at Constar1tinople.
That danger is not yet past. She
is also on the verge of an open
break with France, and her need
Of a strong navy was never more
evident than today. We may be
pretty sure that Great Britain,
France and Italy will not be in
any mood to reduce the strength of
their naval equipment just now.
The two latter make no bones
about saying SO. Japan and the
United States are the only two
powers among the five signers of
the five-power treaty that carried
out the obligations of that treaty
with any enthusiasm. Neither OF
them is willing to go further
than they have under present con-
ditions. The treaty imposes no OBJ
legation on them to do SO, because
it depended for its validity on it's
ratification by all the signatory
powers, and only three Of the five
have so far ratified it. It looks
as though a three-power treaty in
stead of a five-power disarmament
treaty concerning the Pacific was
the most we can hope for in the
future.
The Washington naval disarma-
ment treaty turned out a fizzle,
yet we are not prepared to say
that it accomplished no good at
all. At least it stopped new dread
naught construction and saved the
taxpayers some money in this
country, Japan and Great Britain.
When things settle down in Europe
perhaps further naval disarma-
ment progress can be arranged for
through conference. We doubt if
anything more can be accom-
plished along those lines at pres
ent. During the late election cam
paign republican orators had a
good deal of pointing with pride"
70 do concerning the Washington
disarmament conference and the
five-power treaty. It was not
wise. Even at that time it was
evident that France ard Italy had
no mind to ratify the treaty, and
that the efficiency of the treaty
was very much in doubt Besides
ii is always dangerous to seek to
make party capital out of the for
eign relations of the country. The
disarmament conference was not
a, partisan affair. Nearly all the
democrats in the senate voted to
ratify the five-power treaty from
patriotic motives. In that re-
spect they presented a very marked
contrast to the republicans when a