Evening star., 1927-06-19
u. S. Not to Barter Naval Rights

works to the disadvantage of the
| United States, and this disadvantage
becomes proportionately greater as
the limit in size is reduced.
| Discussion of the cruiser strength
| Is likely to be the crux of the naval
conference. Next to the battleship,
the cruiser is the vessel of greatest
strength 1t is possible that naval
personnel and aircraft may come up
for, limitation, and certainly the sub.
marine, which Great Britain would
like to dispense with entirely If all
the other nations would agree. But
France rejected that idea at the Wash
ington conference, nor was the United
States friendly to it. The sub is
! strong weapon of defense in the case
Of long coast line like Americas.
Present Strength Low.
The cruiser strength of the United
States Is today far below the $50
ratio. OF modern cruisers with 1900
to 10000 tonnage and carrying to S
| inch guns. the United States has 10 of
$500 tons each, has two building of
10000 tons each, and six appropriated
| for In part Of 10000 tons each, total
| of Is vessels when all are completed
with combined tonnage Of 1890
| tons. Great Britain, on the other
hand, has built 40 cruisers of 194,290
tons, has IL building of 10000 tons
each and six appropriated for of a
total of $4,000 tons, or 81 vessels with
a total 358,290 tonnage. Japan has
10 built with a total 102, ,005 tonnage.
six building with total $4,000 ton
mage and four appropriated for with
| total of 10000 tonnage, or 20 vessels
| with tonnage totaling 1862 tons.
The United States has an advantage
in the number of destroyers today.
But they were practically all con-
structed prior to or during the World
| War period. Both Great Britain and
Japan are building new and larger ves-
sells of this type and the United
States is making no replacements,
while it's destroyers necessarily are
| growing older and less effective. In a
| less measure the same is true with
regard to comparative submarine
| strength.
United States Position Changed.
1t Is apparent that the United States
| Is going into the conference in no such
dominant position as she held in
| Washington six years ago. She can
| make concessions regarding destroy
ers and older submarines. But in the
matter Of cruisers. If there are to be
concessions, they must come from the
other nations. 1t is considered scarcely
| likely that either Japan or Great Brit
ain will agree to scrap their cruisers.
| Ii they would do so, so much better
from Uncle Sans point OF view. II
they will agree to fix a maximum
| limit of cruiser construction and
strength, with the 5-5-3 ratio in effect,
| it will be satisfactory to this coun.
| try.
One card the United States holds.
| just as she held it in 1921-22, which
| may have its effect in bringing the
conference to success. The United
States Is in a better position today
financially to go ahead with big
| naval building program than any other
country In the world. 1t seems clear
that unless some agreement Is reached
satisfactory to this country at the
Geneva conference, a new naval pro-
gram must be adopted. This country
has kept Its naval building to a mini
mum since the Washington confer.
| enct allowing other nations to surpass
.heH A failure at Geneva will give new
lifd to the demand for more cruisers.