Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-10
CONGRESS FAVORS
NAVAL REDUCTION
Presidents Appeal to Powers
Strikes Responsive Chord
in Senate and House.

President Coolidge's appeal to the
foreign powers for an agreement on
further limitation of naval arma-
ment, announced to Congress today
in a special message, struck g. re-
sponsive chord among the members
of the Senate and the House.
Favorable comment followed the
reading of the message. The Presi-
dent. in his memorandum to the
foreign powers, declared specifically
for the 6-5-3 ratio in cruisers and
auxiliary craft for the United States.
Great Britain and Japan. This is
the same ratio as that established for
capital ships and aircraft carriers at
the Washington conference.
Some Skepticism Shown.
The Presidents declaration was par
ticularly pleasing to members of Con-
gress who believe in keeping up the
naval strength of the United States
to that of any other power. While
hope was expressed generally that
the appeal of the President would he
attended with success, there was some
skepticism.
On the ether hand, there was a.
feeling that the United States Gov
ernment might already have sounded
out the maritime powers through dip
lomatic channels on the Presidents
proposal for separate naval limita-
ton agreement, provided a general
agreement cannot be obtained at
Geneva. If some of the powers al
ready have assented to the proposal
and the principles of the 5-5-3 ratio,
then the prospects of success, it was
said, would be much brighter
The President, it was pointed out,
leaves the ratio of the naval strength
of France and Italy to the other pow
ers to be still further discussed at
Geneva. The ratio established for
them in capital ships at the washing
ton conference was 1857. Such a
ratio might not be satisfactory to
them in the matter of cruisers, sub
marines and other auxiliary craft.
See Blow to New Cruisers.
Here and there an opinion was
voiced that the Presidents message
might be blow to the proposed ap-
preparation for three new scout cruis-
ers, placed in the Navy bill by the
Senate. Supporters OF the three
cruiser appropriation, however. were
quick to point out that If the United
States should build the three new
cruisers it would still be far below the
5-5-3 ratio in cruiser strength with
Great Britain and Japan.
The secret of the Presidents mes
sage was we'll kept Nothing definite
was known regarding its contents un-
til it was read in the Senate
Senator Borah of Idaho, chairman
of the foreign relations committee,
made the following comment on the
message.
Il am thoroughly in sympathy with
what the President would accomplish.
Senator Borah several years ago
sponsored the first proposal for a
naval limitation conference which was
followed ultimately by the Washing
ton conference called by President
Harding.
Hale Approves Plan.
Senator Hale of Maine. chairman
of the naval affairs committee, said:
Il have always been in favor Of ex-
tending the provisions of the Wash
ington treaty to other types of ships
than capital ships and carriers. The
PRESIDENTS proposal is in line with
this policy and has nothing to do with
the present building program of the
Navy, which, If carried out, could not
raise our strength to any limitation
level which by any possibility could be
adopted by such a conference. On
the contrary, the building of new
cruisers now contemplated would i'm
prove the condition of the United
States at such conferences.
Senator Moses of New Hampshire
took much the same view as Senator
Hale. He said that he did not see
how the proposed conference on
naval limitations could in any way
affect the building of the three cruis-
ers proposed In the Navy bill since 1t
would require not only those cruisers.
but many others, to bring the United
States up to the cruiser strength of
Great Britain and Japan.
Senator Reed of Missouri, Dennocra-
tic member of the foreign relations
expressed the opinion that
the message of the President was
aimed at the three cruiser appropria-
ton as included in the Navy bill by
the Senate. The Missouri Senator
said that he was not averse to the
principal of naval limitation provided
the other naval powers could be pre-
vailed upon to limit their cruisers ana
other auxiliary craft and to scrap
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