Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-12
Britain's Newest Proposal.

At a moment when the three power
naval limitation conference appeared
on the brink of an explosion. the Brit
ish have in some measure modified
their position on cruiser tonnage. How
much of a modification the British
now propose will be revealed when the
naval experts have made an analysis
OF these latest recommendations. For
the time, however the conference has
been saved from the dissolution that
seemed to threaten it.
From London and from Geneva both
come assertions from high British
officials that a mistaken impression
has been spread. Britain, they insist,
does not seek sea superiority over the
United States. 1t never had such an
end in view in its proposals at the
conference. Whatever end the Brit
fish had in view, il has been clearly
demonstrated that if the British terms
had been accepted, sea supremacy
would have rested with Britain. That
is as plain as a pikestaff. The Amer
lean delegation and naval experts
grasped the situation Immediately.
They have been firm in their asser-
lions that American national defense
and the principle of the 5-5-S ratio
would not be safeguarded by the adop-
ton of the British plan.
From the published reports of the
new British suggestions, it appears
that they propose a definite limitation
of 10,000-ton cruisers on the 5-5-3
ratio basis; that the total cruiser ton
mage shall be for the United States
and for Great Britain approximately
400, 900 tons, or about the limit which
the American delegation has sug-
gested as a compromise between the
600 ,000.ton demand of the British and
the SOC, 000-ton maximum originally
set by the United States proposal; that
7.5O0-ton cruisers be the maximum
size of all other cruisers, and that they
be armed with guns no larger than
six-inch caliber.
The only thing new in this plan re-
lating to cruisers, if it is correctly re-
ported, is the agreement to a limita'
ton on total cruiser tonnage. 1t has
been pointed out again and again that
the United States, lacking the many
naval bases and fueling stations owned
by Great Britain in all parts of the
world, requires cruisers of larger
cruiser radius to protect American
commerce and for national defense.
Furthermore, it is perfectly clear that
If the size of the guns permitted on
cruisers is reduced to six inches in
stead of the eight-inch guns permitted
under the Washington naval treaty
of 1922. the British can arm their great
fleet of swift merchantmen with six
inch guns and put them on a parity
with the cruisers in time of war
There still, it appears remains food
for American thought in this new
plan relating to cruisers.
The interest which the United States
Is taking in the Geneva conference
anu III the maintenance VI proper ia
tional defense and a continuance of
the 5-5-3 ratio has come, perhaps,
as surprise to the British. Uncle
Sam has been easygoing in such mat
ters. The American delegation. how.
ever, has come pretty near convincing
the British when the United States
agrees to naval parity it means
equality.
The Geneva conference is by no
means out of the woods. Japan views
the large tonnage proposals of Great
Britain askance still. 1t does not care
for an extension of the 5-5-3 ratio
to auxiliary craft in definite, arith.
metical terms. However, there is still
room for hope that the conference
will be able to reach an agreement of
value.
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