The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-30
Question of Aircraft Carriers
Enters Into Navy
Investigation.

Nv IuOol CSiId4Illy OO HOt iutCilu
- to drop my resolution relative
to whether the two new British war
ships. Nelson and Rodney, violate
the treaty of washington" Senator
Kenneth Mcclellan of Tennessee told
the writer today.
cit has been stated on the floor
of the Senate and in the news
papers, he said, "that the Nelson
and Rodney are the latest thing
in battleships; that they win be 49,
0G0 tons each; that they will each
carry nine sixteeninch guns for
ward; that the after-decks will be
used for airplane platforms. and that
there will be no stacks.
What / want to find out is this:
First, whether the Nelson and
the Rodney are aircraft carriers or
battleships.
Second, whether they conform to
the limitations contained in/ the
Washington treaty.
Third, if combined battleships
and aircraft carriers, whether. or not
such ships, as aircraft carriers, do
not violate Article x of the treaty
by carrying guns in excess of the
caliber permitted.
Fourth, whether, as aircraft car
riers. they do not violate Section TX
Of the treaty in reference to tonnage
and number of guns carried.
British Protest
Another thing want to find out
is what has been done by this coun-
try to settle the question raised by
the British protest against the ele-
walton of the guns on thirteen Of
our eighteen battleships.
my resolution asking the Presi-
dent to furnish the necessary infor
nation is now on the table, very
much alive and right where I can
bring 1t to the attention Of Con-
gress at any time.
This 1 shall do at the first OPP
perfume moment I feel that what
ever else may be said about it., we
at least have better case against
the Nelson and Rodney, under the
treaty Of Washington, than the
our guns"
Article XI of the treaty provides
that no aircraft carrier shall exceed
81, 900 tons, save under certain speci-
fed conditions, when they might, at
a maximum. be of $4,000 tons. The
Nelson and Rodney both exceed the
limit by. 1000 tons.
Article x provides that no aircraft
carrier shall carry a gun Of a
caliber in excess of eight inches and
not more than eight Of these. Brit
aims two new mystery ships. carry
nine sixteen-inch guns each.
Article II permits the British to
build two new capital ships not ex-
ceeding 1000 tons each,' but Chap
ter II. Part 4, specifically attempts
to distinguish between type of craft.
"A capital ship, in the case Of ships
hereafter to be built it says, ''is a
vessel Of war. NOT an aircraft car
rier, ETC."
Aircraft Carrier Defined
8 At the same time the, treaty de-
fines an aircraft carrier as "a vessel
Of war so constructed that
aircraft can be launched therefrom
and landed theron" in other
words with f1ight-deck such as
the Nelson and Rodney are de-
scribed as having.
What, then, are the Nelson and
Rodney?
I President Coolidge has removed
his economy objection to gun eleva-
ton, the cost being comparatively
small item, and now bases his op.
position entirely on the fact that
Britain objects on the ground that
the change would constitute a viola
ton of the spirit, if not the letter, Of
the treaty of Washington.
Dissenting officials here hold that
coincident with her stand against
the elevation of our guns, Britain
Is apparently guilty OF a far more
serious breach of the spirit, if not
the letter, of that same pact.
AS one Of them put 1t: Britain is
straining terribly at gnat and at
the same time is demanding that we
swallow a came"