Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03
The Story the Week Has Told

necessary to guard against an increase
of naval strength on the part of
powers not signatories to an agree
ment reached relating to the United
States. Japan and the British Empire,
in which according provision for re.
consideration would be needed"
Mr.. Gibson in presenting our pro-
posals made similar reservation. It
Is a very important aspect Of the
grand problem.
The Japanese proposals are not
clear or definite and one suspects that
they were not intended to be so.
None of the comforting powers
shall; for such period of time as may
be agreed upon, adopt new building
programs or acquire ships with the
purpose Of Increasing its naval
strength" This clause has been
strangely and widely interpreted as
declaring for maintenance Of the
status quo. BY no means. Study of
the remainder Of the rather curious
document makes 1t evident that extern
scrapping) to the auxiliary naval
armament is contemplated and re.
placement is mentioned as Of course.
The temper of the Japanese seems to
be exceedingly reasonable.
According to what I understand to
be an official American statement,
adoption OF our proposals would in.
volve scrapping about as follows (com.
pletion of existing programs of con-
struction supposed):
The United States to scrap at once
$4,000 tons of auxiliary combatant sur.
face vessels and $4,000 additional tons
by completion Of her present building
program.
The British Empire to scrap about
$4,000 tons Of auxiliary combatant sur.
face craft by completion Of her pres.
nt'building program.
Japan to scrap about 10000 tons Of
auxiliary combatant surface vessels by
completion Of her present building pro-
gram.
No scrapping of submarines re.
quired prior to completion of present
building programs.
OF course a certain amount of build
ing up to allowances in the several
classes would be in order, but happily
the total of such permitted additions
Is not too terrifying to the taxpayer.
My understanding Is that all the YES
sells that under our plan would be
scrapped are obsolete or obsoleScent.
But cannot go into these fascinating
details.
The American proposals contemplate
naval parity between the United States
and Great Britain on an agreed basis
outlawing competition and limiting ex-
penditure.
The British would fain retain their
preponderance in the cruiser class, at
least. But they are probably resigned
to the fact that it's no use kicking
against the pricks." Parity Is "indi-
Gated" by the extraordinary new de-
velopments. We will not be denied,
and Britain cannot afford to make a
race of it.
My understanding Is that the Brit
ish have dropped their proposal look.
ing to modification OF the Washington
treaty provisions and have accepted
the principle of American naval parity
with Britain. A tentative agreement
regarding destroyers seems to have
been reached.
X X X X
United States Of AmerIca.-At 9 am.
Pacific time) Wednesday, Lieut.. Les
ter J. Maitland, pilot, and Lieut.. AL
ed in a Fokker monoplane at Wheeler
Field, the Army air field near Homo
lulu, having covered the distance OF
1880 miles from the Oakland, Calf,
municipal airport, in Is hours and 80
minutes. 1t was the longest of over
ocean flights, and in every sense a
mastery performance. Unfortunately
the flyers were unable to make much
use Of the radio beacon signals, which
were expected to be a main guidance,
since their radio receiver functioned
badly. Their machine was equipped
with three Wright whirlwind motors.
All three, in turn, gave some trouble
at the start, but finally Strengthened
out"
Lesson: In case Of war, Army planes |
could make 1t to the relief Of the Ha-
waiian Islands.
1t is sufficient praise for the flight |
Of the America to observe that 1t has
added to Comdr Byrd's
sufficiently established repu- |
tation as an aviator in the supreme |
rank; his associates, Acosta, Neville |
and Balchen, famous airmen all three, |
likewise humping the stars. as Horace |
would say. The plane was over Brest |
about 8 pm. Thursday e New York |
time) and under normal conditions |
should have made lie Bourget four |
hours later. But in a cooperative |
scientific spirit the elements decided |
to pose problem which |
must be solved before a regular COM |
mercial service of supra-Atlantic fly. |
ing may be regarded as safe PROPOSE. |
ton; the problem, namely, Of what |
you're going to do when. approaching |
your destination at night, low-lying |
vapors interpose an opaque curtain
plane and earth, obscuring |
the most powerful lights. Add to this
the fact that ones compass Is out Of
1t would seem that the Byrd party |
came very near their goal; not Inn
possibly, they passed over LIE Bourget
about midnight. But they could see
their compass had gone crazy
and they were lost. They had gaso-
line for only three hours left and dur.
Ing those three hours they lust
wandered around, completely lost"
With fuel left for only 30 miles. the
plane was brought down about 900
Yards Off the Normandy coast and
Byrd and his companions padded
ashore on their emergency rubber
raft. Thus ended one Of the most
dramatic of human episodes.