The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-02
FRANCE SPENDING HEAVY AMOUNT TO MODE RN|ZE FLEET.
Minister of Marine Indicates Nation Will Adopt Wash
 lngton Naval Policy


 Press. )-France Is spending 51 000, ,00o francs in modernizing her six capital ships under the governments inter Dretation of the Washington naval accords. At the request of the Asso- ciated Press. the minister of marine, Flaminius Raiberti. today explained precisely what is being done.
 You ask me two questions" he said, "one relative to the changes in The old ships and the other about ratification of the Washington naval treaties.
 The first subject is dealt with in the first paragraph of Section l of the third part of the Washington treaty upon the limitation of naval ornaments. This paragraph author lzes the contracting powers to in crease the defensive power of their ships against submarine and aerial attacks by additional lateral caissons and protecting bridges, provided the tonnage is not increased more than 5000 tons.
 As to artillery. the treaty for bids any change in the number, cali bre and general type of mounting of the units of principal armament. However, recognizing the special situation of France, which possesses only old unitS-as she ceased to con struct since the war-she is author ized, as is Italy. to increase the cali
  provided the calibre does not exceed l6 inches.
 Says France Conforms.
 France has conformed strictly to these provisions, even before ratify ing the treaty. The only modifica ton of her armament she contem- plates is that which consists in in ereasing the angle of elevation of the guns on all her battleships, thereby | ernize firing methods. We do not contemplate an increase in calibre, although the Washington treaty eX- pressly recognizes our right to do so.
 T come to the second question. The government has asked Parliament to ratify the Washington accords If ratification of these treaties has not yet been effected, despite the govern nents efforts. the reasons therefore can be found in the development of the budget debate, which has occu pied the greatest part of the Cham ber's time; to the large number of interpellations, to discussion of UT gent measures of general interest, such as the rent law, and finally to the serious illness of the eminent re- porter of the naval treaty, the Hon. M. Guernier.
 ''He is, fortunately, restored to good health now and the government ex poets to ask that discussion of the Washington accords be put on the program of the Chamber as soon as the foreign affairs commission sub mits its report when Parliament re- convenes after the Easter vacation.
 But, even before ratification, France. who in 1914 preceded the other nations in navy armament limi- tations by suspending all construc- tion, has supplied the Washington accords In advance, as if she already n a hav
 Back Naval Treaty.
 ""rhe French delegates to the League of Nations have been in- structed by the government to sup port the plan to extend the Wash ington naval accords to the non signatory powers.
 But the most certain proof we have given of our intention to ratlfy the Washington treaty was the filing of the bill for Frances naval pro- gram in the Chamber on March s.
 This measure is intended to re- place the law of 1912, which is still in effect. and which would have given us, If the war had not interfered, 2S battleships, 20 cruisers, 50 tor pedo boats and s4 submarines.
 Intended to comply with the ne cessities of the present time, this bill has been drawn within the limits of the Washington accords, ratifica tion of which it contemplates and whose provisions it applies in ad- vance. As compared with the law of 1912 and the fleet existing in 1914 it makes considerable progress in the reduction of naval armament.
 "The preamble of this bill takes care to set out that unless abso- lutely compelled by circumstances, we do not intend to avail ourselves of the freedom to begin repla cement of our battle fleet in 1927
 Americans then can see that the French governments only wish is to obtain as soon as possible Parlia- ment's approval of the Washington accords and thus give striking evil dence of its appreciation of the lofty peace ideals that inspired the gov ernment of the United States when it took the initiative of summoning the conference that led to these ac- cords.
 Must Have Navy.
 France has gone as far as she can in the limitation of her naval power. She could not go further without giv- ing up having navy, and she could not give up having navy without condemning herself to die.
 But France, to show her pacific sentiments, wishes to have only such a navy as is strictly needed: that is why she has shown such great mod erauon in her naval program and it is also why she is getting ready to ratify the Washington accords and associate herself with the great work of the American government and statesmen"
 The 51,000.000 francs estimated fer the modernization of the French capt. tai ships it is learned, from the tech nical bureaus of the ministry, is based on the cost of the work Just completed on the Bretagne and Lor- raine, which approximates S,500,O00 francs each. The same amount is ex- pected to be necessary to modernize the two vessels now being changed and the last two to be improved later.
 The French naval authorities direct attention to the fact that the naval budget is really about half that be- fore the war, as the 1923 budget calls for l,020, 0,0OO,000 paper francs. as com pared with 641 .0O0. 0O0 gold francs in