New Britain herald., 1927-06-20
EXTENSION OF 5-5.3 ASKED
tcont,nusd from T,rst Pass.)
Maximum Figures

(Continusd from Tirst Pase.)
 Maximum Figures
 Under the dibson proposal, the 10000 ton maximum weight for cruisers fixed in the Washington treaty of 1921 would be accepted with armament not exceeding eight inch guns. Destroyers would be de- fined as not exceeding 5000 tons and of speed not greater than 17 knots.
 Other auxiliary ships of limited combatant value would be grouped in a fourth class, whose restrictions would be subject to future agree ment. The American plan. if adopt cd by the powers, would be CO., terminous with the Washington treaty which runs until 1886 and thereafter for a period of two years after any signatory gives notice of intention to abrogate.
 Transition Period
 Minister Gibson explained a pro- vision Of the new proposal which stipulates . period of transition from present cruiser. destroyer and submarine strength of the limita- ton set forth in his plan. During the period. which would be an in- definite number Of years but cer- tainly ending before expiration of the treaty. cruiser and destroyer strength would be combined. but tho excess above the 55o,ooo tons total prescribed for Great Britain and the United States and the s30.- 900 tons for Japan in the limita- ton plan would be scrapped.
 Tho arrangement was included to obviatA wholesale scrapping by the United States, for example. of it's preponderance of destroyers while being deficient in cruisers. Under the plan the transition period would be employed by the powers to pare down or build up their cruisers or destroyers to fit the limitation scale. It was not expected that the con- ference would attempt to limit the duration of the transition period in- as much as the deciding factor so far as time was concerned would be the congressional and parliamentary decision upon the necessary appro- priations.
 Voluntary Scrapping
 Voluntary scrapping of obsolete ships would be permitted. but re- placements could not be made until tho time limit of service of each class of vessel was reached. In the case of cruisers 20 years would be fixed as the effective age limit, IS to IT years for destroyers and 12 to 13 years for submarines.
 The proposal as revised just before the conference opened. contains this provisio:
 Tt might be desirable to provide for the possibility of reconsideration in the event that requirements of national security of any contracting power in respect of naval defense are, in the opinion of that power. materially affected by any change of circumstances"
 A Safety Clause
 The clause was looked upon as providing safety element by which any of the contracting powers could remove itself from the restric- tions of the agreement should any netghboring power launch | naval building program of suspiciously formidable size.
 In his preliminary address. Am- bassador Gibson expressed conn- dence that we can start with as- eured agreement on the following points:
 That in the interest of interna- tional understanding there should be no competition between the three powers in the building of naval armaments.
 "That our respective navies should be maintained at the lowest level compatible with national se- curity and should never be Of a size OF character to warrant the suspicion of aggressive intent:
 '"That a wise economy in govern ment dictates that future naval con- struction should be kept to a minimum:
 ''That the methods and principles of limitations set forth in the Wash ington treaty are both effective and should be extended to all categories of combatant vessels of the three powers"
 Coolidge's Message
 Ambassador Gibson's first official utterance to the conference was the reading of message to the dele- gates from President Coolidge.
 T am deeply gratifled." the mes- sage said, "that the representatives of the British Empire and of Japan are meeting with the representatives of the United States to consider measures for the further limitation of naval armaments through the ex- tensions of the principles of the Washington party.
 '"An agreement rendering impos- sible any form of naval competition between the three powers will have a lasting influence in cementing the present relations of good under standing between the three coun- tries and constitute definite step in advance iowa rd the com mon nh.