Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-10

Paris, Rome and Toxic will today pre-
sent to the governments of Great
Britain, France, Italy and Japan a
memorandum suggesting that they
empower their delegates at the forth
coming meeting Of the Preparatory
Commission for the Disarmament Con-
ference at Geneva to negotiate and
conclude at an early date an agree
ment further limiting naval arma.
ment. supplementing the Washington
treaty on that subject, and covering
the classes of vessels, not covered by
that treaty. / transmit herewith. for
the information Of the Congress, a
copy of this memorandum.
l wish to inform the Congress Of
the considerations which have moved
me to take this action.
The support OF all measures looking
to the preservation OF the peace Of the
world has been long established as a
fundamental policy Of this Govern
meTt. The American Government and
people are convinced that competitive
arn1aments constitute one of the most
dangerous contributing causes of in
ternational suspicion and discord and
are calculated eventually to lead to
war. A recognition OF this fact and
desire, as far as possible, to remove
this danger led the American Govern.
ment In 1921 to call the Washington
conference.
At that time we were engaged in
great building program which. upon
its completion. would have given us
f1rst place on the sea. We felt then,
however, and feel now, that the policy
We then advocated-that of deliberate
self-denial and limitation of naval
armament by the great naval pow
erS-promised the attainment of at
least one guarantee of peace, an end
worthy of mutual adjustment and
concession.
Other Countries i'm Accord.
At the Washington conference we
found the other nations animated with
the same desire as ourselves to re
move naval competition from the list
of possible causes of international
discord. Unfortunately. however il
was not possible to reach agreement
at Washington covering all classes
of naval ships. The Washington treaty
provided a specific tonnage limitation
upon capital ships and aircraft car
riers, with certain restrictions as to
size and maximum caliber of guns for
other vessels. Every nation has been
at complete liberty to build any num-
ber of cruisers, destroyers, and sub
marines. Only size and armament of
cruisers were limited. The signatories
of the Washington treaty have full
filed their obligations faithfully and
there can be no doubt that that treaty
constitutes an outstanding success in
it's operation.
Il LIS k~en the bons 0f the Amer.
ica2 government, >cVseWntfy express.
ed by the Congress since the Wash
ington conference. that q Favorable
opportunity might present itself to
complete the work begun mere by the
conclusion of further agreements COW
ering cruisers, destroyers. and sub.
marines. The desirability of such an
agreement has been apparent, since
it was only TO be expected that the
spirit Of competition, stified as regards
capital ships and aircraft carriers by
the Washington treaty, would. sooner
or later, show itself with regard to
the other vessels not limited under
the treaty. Actually, do not believe
that competitive building of these
classes of ships has begun. Never.
theless, far.reaching building pro-
grams have been laid down by certain
powers, and there has appeared in our
own country, as well as abroad, a
sentiment urging naval construction
on the ground that such construction
is taking place elsewhere. In such
sentiments lies the germ of renewed
naval competition
Early Action Urged.
l am sure that all governments and
all peoples would choose a system OF
naval limitation in preference to con-
sciously reverting to competitive
building. Therefore, in the hope of
bringing about an opportunity for
discussion among the principal naval
powers to ascertain whether further
limitation is practicable, have sug.
gested to them that negotiations on
this subject should begin as soon as
possible.
The moment seems particularly op.
perfume to try to secure further limi-
tation of armament in accordance
with the expressed will of the Con-
gress. The earnest desire of the ma
tions of the world to relieve them
selves in as great a measure as pos
sible Of the burden of armaments and
to avoid the dangers of competition
has been shown by the establishment
Of the preparatory comission for the
conference, which met in
Geneva last May, and which is con.
tinuing its work with view to pre-
pairing the agenda for a final general
conference. For more than six
months representatives of a score or