Evening star., 1927-03-13
NAVY EQUAL TO BRITISH
TOBE Il. S. AIM AT FARLEY
Cruisers and Other Auxiliary Craft May
Be Limited at Ceneva-American
Foreign Trade Is Factor.

i United States. 1t Is quite eNiueiit lIdt
, she could wipe out the entire l9Z'
J building program and still be far SUI
: perior to the United States in the mat
ter of cruisers.
Our own Navy Department has re-
; Gently called for bids for construction
of six modern cruisers, included in the
1924 program. Three of these cruisers
were the subject of the recent tilt be
tween Congress and the president.
The construction of these cruisers Is
TO proceed according to the plans of
Congress. although the President un-
der the law of 1924 is authorized to
suspend construction if in his opinion
| it becomes desirable. The fact of the
matter IS, however, that the United
States will need these three cruisers
and many more to meet any limit OF
strength that possibly could be fixed
at the Geneva conference.
Relative Strength Important.
The relative strength of American,
British and Japanese navies becomes
at once of Importance in view of the
coming discussions for further limita-
ton. This applies to the capital ships,
which have been limited by treaty, as
we'll as to the auxiliary craft, which
have not been limited, and to the air
strength and the personnel.
In the matter of personnel, the
United States has 1851 officers and
S2,910 men; Great Britain, 1902 Off
GERS and 95, S35 men; Japan, 1903 Off
GERS and 68,33S men. These figures do
not include the Marine Corps. The
United States has 1.190 officers and
1877 men in the Marine Corps, of
whom Ga officers and 2.177 men serve
afioat. The British have 423 officers
and 10.350 men in the Royal Marines,
of whom 157 officers and 5,085 men
serve afioat. The figures also include
the air forces of the navies, estimat-
| ing the air strength of the British
navy, since the Royal Air Force is
separate from both the army and
navy, but part of that force performs
naval aviation duty.
To bring the United States up to the
| 5-5--3 ratio, so far as personnel is
| concerned, would require an addition
of I'll officers and 1925 men. Neither
Great Britain nor Japan requires any
additional personnel to attain this.
ratio.
American Weak Point.
| The discrepancy in modern cruisers
is the particular weak point of the
American Navy when it is compared
to those of Great Britain and Japan,
| with the 5-5-3 ratio in mind The
United States has 10 modern cruisers,
| $4,000 tons, built; it has building,
10000 tons, and authorized and ap-
propriated for, $4,000 tons: total, is,
tonnage, 155, 900 tons.
Great Britain, on the other hand,
has 40 modern cruisers built. 1884, ,290
tons; she has IL building, 10000 tons, |
and authorized and appropriated |
for, $4,000 tons; total 81; tonnage, |
332 ,290.
Japan, instead of being on the SIS |
ratio to the United States in the mat |
ter of modern cruisers, exceeds the |
strength of the American Navy in |
these craft. She has 10 cruisers built, !
102.005 tons; she has building 6, tom |
mage $4,000; total, %; tonnage, 1885, |
205 tons
The Importance of the cruiser is
well emphasized in letter addressed
to Chairman Butler of the. House
naval committee by Secretary Viii
bur of the Navy Department. approx
ing a bill introduced during the last
session authorizing 10 additional
cruisers for the United States. This
bill was still pending on the House
calendar when the Congress died.
View Of Wilbur.
THE cruiser said the Secretary,
''is the type of vessel for universal
service both in peace and in warm
peace to cultivate friendly relations, |
to show the flag wherever American
interests require, and generally to
promote the respect and good will of
the world for America; in war to
perform in every sea the multitude
nous duties of offense and defense
that vessels of the cruiser class can
accomplish more efficiently than any
other type of war vessel"
The destroyer is the great menace |
of the submarine, and the cruiser is |
the great menace of the destroyer |
The cruiser is as swift or swifter than |
the destroyer. A. superiority Of |
cruiser strength, naval experts de. |
clare, will almost certainly decide the |
preliminary engagements of fleets. |
AT the time OF the Washington
conference, when the limitation was |
clapped on capital ships, 1t was the |
proposal of the United States that the |
5-5--3 ratio should also be applied to |
cruisers and all other auxiliary craft |
The United States today has a pre-
ponderant strength in destroyers. |
While it has no destroyer leaders, |
$500 tons plus, q knots plus, the
United States has 276 destroyers, 500
to- 1900 tons, 81 knots plus. The
United States has no new destroyers
building or authorized and appropri- |
ated for. The total tonnage of the
American destroyers is 329, ,153 tons.
Japan Like America.
The British empire has Is destroyer
leaders, 81 $40 tons, and 169 destroy-
ers. 194,575. She has Q destroyers
building, adding 2,540 tons to the
| total.
Like the United States, Japan has
| no destroyer leaders, but is building
4, 7,400 tons. Japan has rs destroy
| ers, $3.50 tons, and Is building IA,
20,230 tons.
Nearly all of the 276 destroyers
| possessed by the United States were
, built during the World War and i'm
mediately thereafter They were
part OF the program to combat the
| German submarines. 1t follows that
most of the destroyers will be ready
for the discard about the same time.
The Navy would make no mistake If
a gradual program of replacement
was undertaken, and the construction
OF destroyer leaders begun. Only
| l06 destroyers and mine layers az
at present kept in commission. The
| remainder are tied up
| Submarines Need Attention.
The submarine strength of the
American Navy needs attention. The
Chlleo StateS mas SIX fleet Subma-
rines, submarines over 1000 tons
with speed of 20 knots plus,
with total tonnage of 9675 tons
| But three of these are out of com
mission. Three more authorized and
appropriated for bring the total ton.
mage up to 15,675 tons. The British
empire has Z fleet submarines and is
| building more, making the total ton
| mage 23,566 tons. Japan has 6 fleet
submarines and is building II more.
| She win have a total feet submarine