Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-07-06

accord confined to the latter cate
gories would merely be detrimental to
United States interests and leave
wide open the greatest problem OF
aIl-greater even than that of battle
ships the problem Of swift powerful
cruisers, which themselves decide the
supremacy of the seas.
Apparently the Americans have no
objection, to Great Britain possessing
as many as rs cruisers, but want
some definite understanding that the
tonnage of a considerable number OF
these will be low enough to prevent
the total British cruiser tonnage from
exceeding 100000 tons, as the very
last limit. This new limit would per-
nit Britain to build two new 10000
ton cruisers, while adhering to the
present distributions Of cruiser ton
mage.
An agreement has practically been
reached by the experts concerning
maximum tonnage for destroyers and
submarines and upon the rough fig
ures for total tonnage. The submarine
maximum individual tonnage has been
fixed at 1900 tons, but it is under
stood that this will not involve any
scrapping of submarines over 1000
tons which the United States is now
building for oversee communication.
It is reported tonight that the Jap
aneSe are disconnected over the pre-
sumed necessity of going upward III
cruiser figures to satisfy Great Britain,
and the impression prevails that they
will aid the Americans to keep the
cruiser tonnage as low as possible
in order to satisfy Japanese public
opinion and prevent bigger building
programs.
Finally Mr.. Bridgeman emphasized
that every nation has right to know
better than the others what con-
stitutes the actual needs for it's de-
fense Answering question, the
first lord admitted that Great Brit
ain would replace. eventually, it's 80
smaller size cruisers by ships of
either 10000 or $500 tons because
every nation would undoubtedly build
the maximum size craft permitted
under the treaty.
He, estimated Great Britains future
needs in cruisers as about IL. If %
of these were of 10000 and 48 OF
$500 tons, the total tonnage would
be 100000 tons.
WASHINGTON, July 5 @-Official
comment as to the significance OF
new American cruiser tonnage sug-
gestions discussed today by the
technical committee of the Geneva
naval limitations conference was lack.
ing tonight. The state department
contended itself with giving out the
same announcement issued in Geneva
that the committee had adjourned
ito examine ways of adjusting the
requirements in cruisers Of the sew
eral countries"
1t was made clear informally, how
ever, that the Washington govern.
ment had based its original suggestion
as to cruiser tonnage on careful
preliminary study of the subject tha
included estimates of the needs o.
participating powers provided ther'
was to be a cessation Of competitive
naval building. There was no dis
position among authorities here t.
concur in any program that woul'
virtually double those estimates.
It was pointed out that the Genev
conference created it's technical com
mittees precisely for the purpose O
developing in detail views of the nava
experts of the three powers on jus
such complicated questions as tina
involved in the cruiser tonnage dis
cussion
In the absence of a detailed repor
from Ambassador Gibson as to tn
form and substance of the 10000
cruiser tonnage maximum put for
ward today by the American grou