Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-20
The Naval Conference.

naval conference AT Nren2Nd To-Day CEN
ters the attention of the world. Five
and half years ago. under the lead
ership of the United States. the first
great step toward arms limitation was
taken at the Washington conference.
America Is leading again in the effort
to bring about further naval limita.
ton.
The United States. Great Britain
and Japan, leading naval powers of
the world. will lay their cards on the
table at Geneva. They will earnestly
seek some agreement among them
selves which shall make 1t possible
and practicable to limit auxiliary
naval craft, as the capital ships and
aircraft carriers We're limited at the
| Washington conference. They will be
handicapped by the fact that France
and Italy, signatories to the Wash
ington naval treaty. failed to accept
the invitation of President Coolidge to
participate in the conference today.
They will be represented only by OBJ
servers.
At the Washington conference, with
magnificent generosity the United
States yielded certain naval supremacy
Of the world. in the interest of inter-
national peace and economy. The sin
cerity of the American proposal thrill
ed a war-worn world. 1t gave meas.
ure of assurance that competitive
naval construction would be halted.
In part the effort of America was sue
cessful. The costly capital ship was
limited. limit was set on the size of
cruisers and upon the number and
tonnage of aircraft carriers. Certain
agreements were also entered into re-
garding the Notifications in the Pa
cific. which tended to a better feeling.
and the Anglo-Japanese alliance was
scrapped. For it was substituted
four-power Pacific treaty, including
the United States. Great Britain,
France and Japan.
The United States today is just as
earnest in it's effort to limit armament
as it was five and a half years ago.
The proposal submitted by the United
States at Geneva urges a treaty
supplementary to the naval treaty Of
Washington, with a continuance of
the $3.50 ratio to auxiliary naval craft.
The same high stand for peace is
thus maintained by this Government.
1t has no great battleship fleet to Of
fer on the altar of international accord.
For that was done in Washington. But
it has the financial strength to build
and build, cruisers and submarines, de-
stroyers and aircraft, until it's naval
power shall rank ahead of all the rest,
should such a policy become neces-
sary. No such threat is expected
from the American delegation. 1t is
unthinkable, however, that Uncle Sam,
with his huge international commerce
and billions of investments abroad,
with his citizens in every country Of
the world, will be content to be out
stripped further by the other naval
powers. For five and a half years
this country has let its naval pro-
gram slip. hoping for another agree.
ment on limitation, until in modern
cruiser strength Great Britain and
Japan are today far ahead.
The United States cannot be expect.
ed, except by radical pacifists, to cast
national defense to the winds. The
building of a Navy is no overnight
affair. 1t must be apparent that un.
less some agreement is made at &c.
neva limiting auxiliary naval strength,
| America will be derelict il she fails to
construct the ships she may need for
defense.
Permanent international peace is
still b will-o '-the-wisp. Even a naval
limitation treaty between the three
powers at Geneva, successful to an
unexpected degree, could give no as
surance of permanent peace. But 1t
could give to the world an object les
son of enormous value. Furthermore
! it would help to lift further the bur-
den of taxation which has continued
! to rest it's heavy hand upon the peo-
pie since the close of the World War
RoN$