Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-11
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

In inviting the naval powers Of the
world to consider afresh a curtailment
of their strength at sea, President
Coolidge is making good a definite
pledge on that score. The occasion
was his address of acceptance of the
Republican presidential nomination,
delivered at Washington on August
IL. 1924. when the PREPARATIONS plan
Ia in operation" Mr.. Coolidge said. Il
shall deem it an appropriate time to
approach the great powers with a
proposal for another conference for a
further limitation of ornaments and
for devising plans for codification of
international law The second year
OF the Dawes plan ended August 81,
1926. 1t is now in the midst OF Its
third year, and President Coolidge
Mainly regards the PREPARATIONS scheme
to be working out so satisfactorily
that he can justifiably urge the Euro
pean powers most interested in II to
renew discussion of disarmament.
Much water will flow beneath the
bridges of the Thames, the Seine, the
Tiber and the Sumida before Amer
ica's proposal will be definitely acted
upon. Already the prediction can be
freely risked that France and italy, as
was the case at Washington in 1921
1922. will prove the principal snags in
the river of President CoolidGe's de-
sires.
The French and Italian governments
consented to British supremacy in
Europe, in the realm of capital ships,
because they believed that French and
Italian destroyers and submarines, in
AN emergency, could hold their respec-
tive own against British superiority In
hattleships and battle.cruisers. There
will therefore be the utmost reluctance
In Paris and Rome to abandon the
one branch Of naval power--auxiliary
craft-With which fleets inferior in
capital ships can keep a powerful
enemy at bay. 1t was for these fea'
sons that France and Italy fiye years
ago submitted to a 5-5-3 capital ship
ratio for the United States, Great
Britain and Japan and contented them
selves with a ratio of LIS each In that
class of vessels. Resolutely did the
French and the Italians oppose any
restriction whatever upon their right
TO build and maintain as many
snuad rons of commerce-destroyin
cruisers, torpedo boats and submarines
as their hearts desire and purses per-
nit
Dnr friends in France and Italy
have very practical reasons Tor IN
sisting upon formidable strength in
the lighter and speedier type of war
ships. Both countries are building up
vast colonial empires in northern
Africa. In future wars-and Europe
mind you, continues to think In terms
of future wars--the French and
Italians would depend TO an enormous
extent upon supplies OF both man
nower and raw materials from theit
,.ossessions across the Mediterranean
In the World War it was the legions
of black and brown soldiers from
Morocco, Tunis and Algiers that more
than once sustained the gallant armies
Of France when the hour was darkest
From those rich protectorates. TOO, the
French drew vital SineWs in the form
of food and the rudiments OF MUM
lions. Italy, under the militant leader
ship of Mussolini, is developing net
immense African domains as the our
POSTS Of an empire intended some DAY
70 rival in importance the farming
ramparts of ancient Rome. From
Italian Africa, a territory more than
a quarter as large as the United
States, Mussolini plans, when he needs
them, to march onto European battle
fields a mighty host of native war
riors.
N n X
| 1t is to keep open the sea lanes
| that lead from the remote African
mainland that France and italy re
ulire strong fleets of fast men-of-war
| They are needed as wasps and hor
| nets that could effectively sting and
harry the squadrons Of big. biiriy bat
tleships that Britain would be able Il