Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM NILE

IN you thought we wouldn't do
" II. but we did" Put in
homely Yankee vernacular
a that bout represents
what the United States is
saying to the world at large-and to
Steat Britain in particular--in
launching a $3.50 600 900 naval nro.
gram: The world will carefully and
clearly note that the scheme Just
presented to Congress. with President
CoolidGe's sanction, does not specify
When the projected % light cruisers.
nine destroyer leaders. 81 submarines
and i've aircraft carriers are TO he
built. There is. this writer can state
on high authority, the deepest sisnif-
lcance IN that omission.
The failure to fix a period within
which these IL vessels are to be con.
Structed has a definite and unmistak-
able purpose. The object is to give
the naval powers of the world a
chance to obviate the necessity Of
such an American program by agree
ing with America 10 limit construc
ton of auxiliary naval craft. 1t is
OF course, an open secret that Great
Britain is chiefly in mind in this con-
nection. The United States holds the
British directly responsible for col
lapse of the Geneva limitation effort.
1t IS correspondence within British
power to prevent that which will
otherwise ensue-eXpansion of Ameri-
can naval strength on the formidable
lines which have just challenged the
whole worlds attention.
Same as Geneva Plan.
If London, Toxic, Paris and Rome
have been staggered by the dimensions
of the Coolidge building program. they
need only recall, it is pointed out in
Washington, that it represents, in ac-
tual fact, no more than the United
States proposed at Geneva. The new
project will give America in cruiser
Strength-if it is entirely carried out
a total tonnage of approximately 1885,
900, including vessels built and now
suggested. AS a last-chance bid for
an agreement in Geneva, Secretary
Kellogg authorized the American dele
cation to tell the British that we
would consent to limitation as high
as 900 tons of cruisers.
Americas original proposal was for
a cruiser limit considerably below
that figure. But Great Britain insisted
upon not only a total tonnage in eX
cess of 500, 900 tons, but in particular,
demanded that 6,000-ton cruisers of
short steaming radius be authorized.
America not only objected to 50 high
a tonnage. but opposed 6,000-ton boats.
Our position is that while the Brit
ish could manage, because of their
numerous coaling stations and bases
all over the world. with cruisers of
limited cruising capacity, the United
States, with few and widely separated
bases, requires 10-000-ton cruisers with
wide Steaming radius. On those two
rocks the Geneva conference went to
smash.
View of London Paper.
The Government at Washington is
aware that Britain of late has rocked
with a good deal of bitter comment
on America in general and especially
on our naval plans. Here is one of
the very latest specimens to reach
the United States-an editorial from
the Sunday Times of London, dated
November 81. 1t is entitled 'U. S. and
Cs-Fears and Facts" and says:
Its there any real ground for I'M
easiness over either the present or
the future Of Anglo-American rela-
tions? A good many people think
there is. The position which we
held so long as the leading naval
power. carrier, commercial clearing
house of the world, and its principal
banker. is today being challenged by
the United States.
"It is not being assailed in any
spirit of hostility. but as a result of
a series of uncomfortable circum-