Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-21
BRITAIN AND Japan
HIT 553 RATIO
Naval Proposals Would Scrap
Principle, Authorities
Here Contend.
by G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The 5--5-3 naval strength ratio
agreed to at the Washington arms
conference for capital ships and &C
copied in principle by representatives
of Great Britain and Japan at that
time. is scrapped in the proposals OF
the British and the Japanese at the
Geneva conference. in the opinion OF
naval authorities here.
The United States has proposed the
extension of the 5--5--3 ratio TO aux.
Hilary naval craft, and doubtless will
stand by it.
The British and Japanese attack
this plan with substitute proposals.
They attack from different angles
but the result would not he greatly
different so far as the United States
Is concerned.
In the matter of naval strength, If
either British or Japanese proposal
should be adopted, the United States
would suffer. would fail to approach
closely the 5--5-3 ratio, under which
the United States is on a parity with
Great Britain and in the ratio Of to
with Japan.
Both Ignore Ratio.
The British would extend the ac-
copied life of existing capital ships
from 20 to 20 years, would fix the
life of cruisers at "a years, destroy
ers at 90 wears and submarines al
Is years. They would reduce the size
of battleships and cruisers and the
size of the guns they carry. There
is no proposal for an extension oil
the 5-5-3 ratio except in SO far as
1O,000-ton cruisers are concerned
And after the present 10.O0O-ton
cruiser programs have been com
more
than $500 tons are to be constructed
The Japanese propose a naval
building holiday, except of ships not
over 700 tons. surface ships, lightly
armed, and aircraft carriers not over
10000 tons. Japan does not. however
propose that the present building pro-
grams shall be halted. No ratio pro
posal is made by the japanese. But
Japan, like Great Britain, stresses
the need of considering particularly
the special needs of the individual
countries in the matter OF national
defense Here again they get away
from the principles of agreement al
the Washington conference.
If the British plan is adopted, her
supremacy at sea is at once assured
If the Japanese plan is adopted the
United States suffers from the fact
that in recent years its naval program
has been curtailed to the limit and
in modern cruisers Japan would be
stronger than this country and in the
construction of larger. speedier and
more powerful destroyers and subma-
rines Japan also would have the ad-
vantage, although in matter OF actual
tonnage this country would be superior
to Japan in both destroyers and sub
marines.
See L. s. at Disadvantage.
The extension of the accepted life
of capital ships. cruisers, destroyers
and submarines as proposed by the
British keeps the United States at a
disadvantage. Compared to Great
Britain, the United States today has
older battleships, when the building
program is considered. To continue
these ships in commission would be to
postpone requirements by this coun-
try with newer and more effective
ships.
The United States has superiority in
destroyer strength today over both
Great Britain and Japan. But the
United States built practically all or
it's destroyers in the war period. I'm
der the British proposal. these ships
would have their accepted lives" eX-
tended to "a years. although the Amer
lean view has been that the life of a
destroyer is 20 years. Both the British
and the Japanese are building destroy
err leaders, and new destroyers. while
the American destroyer program has
been at a standstill.
In the matter of modern cruisers.
the British have far distanced the
United States and Japan's building
program puts her at an advantage
&c n
United States Far Below Ratio.
A comparison Of the modern cruiser
strength Of the three countries,
taking into consideration the program
of each, shows America far below the
$50 ratio.
OF modern cruisers with 5000 to
10000 tonnage and carrying to &
inch guns, the United States has 10
of 1900 tons each. has building
Of 10000 tons each, and appro-
nriated for in part of 10000 tons
each, a total of Is vessels when all
are completed with a combined ton
mage of $4,000. Great Britain.
on the other hand. has built 40
cruisers of 1920 tons, has IL build
ing Of 10 900 tons each and 6 appro-
priated for Of a total Of $4,000 tons.
or 81 vessels with q total 358,29O
tonnage. Japan has 10 built with a
total 102 .OO5 tonnage, building with
a total $4,000 tonnage and appro-
priated for with total Of 10000 ton
mage. or 29 vessels with tonnage
totaling 196.205.
American naval authorities hold
that the reduction in the size OF bat
tleships and cruisers proposed by the
British, and particularly the proposal
that the size of the guns on the cruis-
ers be reduced to 6-inch, would be
contrary to the interest of the United
states. They hold this to be true both