Evening star., 1926-01-24
Offers of Further Arms Limitation Should
Come From the Foreign Naval Powers

30. rms capacity lncludeS carriers pa't'e
ships a nd cruisers.
In the matter Of planes and aircraft person
mel. the United States Navy has 2lS planes in
commission and $50 in reserve: 700 officers ana
1887 enlisted men. The British navy has lib
planes in commission and 100 per cent in re-
serve. but il has 544 additional planes in aen-
eral service in the ROYAL air force.
There is no official data from Japan on this
subject. but the best available shows that the
Japan navy has 14S planes in commission and
3O5 in reserve, and 400 officers and $500 enlist
ed men the French navy has "a planes in com
mission md 90 in reserve. and 2l0 officers and
$500 enlisted men: Italy has her planes in gen
eral army and navy service ha wing COS planes
in commission and 467 in reserve.
In personnel strength the navies Of the five
powers show up as follows: United States. S3l2
officers and Sl.7o2 enlisted men; British Empire.
$50 officers and 95.922 enlisted men Gncudnc
357 officers and 2,480 men Of the royal air force
Performing naval aviation duties, Japan, 7.143
officers and 50,4S7 enlisted men. Italy 2o33 OH
GERS and io.SSl enlisted men.
The actual ratio as applied to officers and
men is as follows. the first figure being for
the officers: United States, 46a and 1 2G: Brit
iSh Empire. and ): Japan. 4.26 and 81:
France 1.97 and 2G3 Italy. 1.26 and 2.l3.
4 K
The navy vessels laid down nr appropria,od
for since February 6, 1922. the date Of the close
of the Washington conference by the five
powers are as follows: United States, total
OF IL: British Empire -: Japan 9f: France
II. and Taiy. 43. These figures cover all kinds
Of craft and show that the -nited States has
been tagging. while others hurried ahead. The
British Empire has fve-year building pro
gram. calling for nine foo00-t"n cruisers. seven
S.ooh-ton cruisers. - frstne destroyers. -
fleet submarines. gunboats / patrol vessels.
submarine tenders, ] repair ship and l net
layer.
The Japa nese navy also has fve-year build.
ing program. although this may be by
the government because Of financial depre&-
sion in Japan. 1t follows. Four N. .000o cruisers
20 l.5noton destroyers, 10 l,500-ton fleet subnla-
rines. gunboats aircraft tender and spe-
ciaI service ships. Frances fve.vear building
includes 2 fret -lioo
destroyers. - destroyer leaders. > mine layers
fleet submarines, II first-ne subma rines 6
rst-line mine layers. oil tankers and sub.
marine tender
Italy has under consideration the following
building program: light cruisers. first line de-
Stroyers and s subnla rineS.
Already it has been clearly intimated that
the British. at the coming naval limitation
ference will strongly urge the abolition of the
submarine entirely. Indeed. she sought such
action AT the Washington conference but was
blocked by France. which however. was sec
"nded by the United States. nan and Italy
in this opposition The British have much to
gain by the abolition of the submarine The
United States. however because Of it's great
roastline, needs the submarine for defensive
purposs.
Another proposal which the British arc ex
pected to put forward is the abolition Of the
capital ship--that there shall he no replace
ments under the Washington treaty. If this
course we're followed. il is easy 10 see from the
hSureS already given that Britain would be left
supreme on the sea. since she is stronger than
"A
craft carriers, and fast merchant vessels ca
pahle of being converted into cruisers and
Japan would he second in strength in this next
most powerful type Of navy vessel. The United
states would he third
third proposal advanced from British
sources Is that cruisers he limited to 6 600 tons
with 6-lnch guns. Under the existing ma ves this
would leave the United States with none or
these vessels and none building: Great Britain
with 81 and Japan with 16 and l building
Another factor of tremendous imnorrance
which doubtless will be considered is the ba GO
fort1hed naval bases are important in naval
strategy. Outside of the Panama Canal Zone
which is now used only a commercial ba 60
this country has but fortified base that is
not in continental United States and that is
Pearl Harbor, near Honolulu The Washington
treaty prevents further fortifcation of our
other insular possessions in the Pacific This
Philippine Islands additional reasons why
fensive purposes.
Great Britain has a chain of fortified naval
oases that extend from Gibraltar to the Far
East. She holds islands in close proximity ~
the l nlted States. and in any agreement that
may be reached at the coming conference IL
would be the part of wisdom to provide that
she should not increase her fortffcations of
these islands VI
Japan, whose interests lie principallv in the
far East. has ample bases on her ma in1a nd
and some OF her island possessions were strong
iF fortified before the Washington conference