Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-06
NAVAL CONFERENCE
+. At |MPASSE OVER
CRUISER PROBLEM
Private Meetings of Chief
Delegates Fail to Relieve
Critical Situation.
BRITISH AND AMERICANS
HOLD LIVELY SESSION
Next Word Lies With Three Gov
ernments as Collapse of Par
ley Is Threatened

naval conference, Win the
states. Great Britain and Japan par
ticipating, is at a standstil, as lar aS
Geneva is concerned.
private meetings today between
Hugh S. Gibson, American delesate'
end Viscount Ishii Of Japan, ana ia'ei
bntween Mr.. Gibson and w. Z. Brloge'
man. British delegate, failed 10 iiI,
-orove tbe existing critical SITUATION
confronting the tripartite naVai CON
ference. rrosor,ob
Field and also Rear Admiral 1aiidls
Jones. U. S. N, were present at Tue
Anglo.American parley, whlch' az.
cording to reliable report, was ra'iiei
lively.
British Criticize Americans.
II ;s declared that the British crltl'
~i-od the Americans for their alleSeu
'TaiIure properly to recognize .1Iea'
12ri+ain's reasonable requirements.
. According to all accounts, Mr.. dio ,
~, insisted that the United states uiu
,'ot wish to do any injustice to Great
pr;tain hut that the American dele'
Gallon saw little chance OF the Sehale
ratifying a treaty when Woulu p,1IiS
cruiser strength up 10 tne hels n.y. I.
Rood of 100000 tons and prove paIt
for increased instead OIL ueeA
val construction. o,.,.;ad
Tha Japanese are plainly worried
over the situation. The private con-
versations are continuing.
Await Word From Capitals.
The next word lies with the govern,
wants in Washington, London and
Tokio. It is they who must help OF
even direct the solution OF the cruiser
problem. which, if not settled, means
the collapse of the conference. 80,
Apparently Washington must Ten
Tendon that the new maximum cruiser
enlbody Americas last upward con
cession. If Washington really means
this. and Toxic must let Downing
street know how Japan REGARDS
cruiser limitations -. A..
The situation today is that the
American delegation has told the
british that limitation can only De
achieved by keeping cruiser strehstn
within 100000 tons, which is some
10000 tons higher than the present
American cruiser strength.
s"Tha Americans say in effect: We
do not object to you having 7o-odd
cruisers if you really need them, put
distribute the tonnage so that the
total will not create b big excess over
your present total tonnage.
Remains "Vicious Circle"
To this he British answer: I'VE
need about 20 cruisers, put II you
Americans insist upon keeping large
size cruisers, then we must naturaily
b1TiId o,1r cruisers up to maximum
the old ships, some 80 OF when are Oh
GOO tons displacement or even less.
If vou will construct smaller ships, 1t
viii automatically bring down our
total tonnage figures.
rims this cruiser puzzle is the
ANTICIPATED problem of the vicious
circle"
Furthermore, Great Britain says
large warships symbolic aggression
small ones, defense. We need only
small cruisers to protect our trade
ro1,tes and food supplies. England
sirnpIv cannot run the risk o. being
isolated. And anyway we didn't starr
this naval race"
The only practicable solution now
in sight seems to be a private agree
me2t with Great Britain that she VII
continue to build a certain number Of
the small cruisers which she mas
hitherto regarded as sufficlent IN SIG
for colonial operations, as 1nslstence
upon the right to build !V,ooo anC
400 ton vessels would bring the
PTitish total near the coo. DOCTOR
mark.
Nav BE Held i'm Allegiance.
Notwithstanding hint that the con
ference might adjourn upon reachint
agreements or the question or de
stroyers and submarines, leaving TN
cruiser problem in allegiance, II wa
animated in American circles ina
the American delegation could see lit
tie use in merely settling these tW'
questions. The United States, it wa
argued. was weak in cruisers, having
many Anticipated ships, although
had strength in submarines and de
sfr0yers. For this reason, it was con
tended. the United States would no
benefit by an accord on submarine
ana destroyers. with the problem o
swift. powerful cruisers still undo
cited.
The Americans are willing that til
british Navy should have as many a
IS cruisers, but are anxious that tn
combined tonnage of these vessel
should not exceed 100000 tons, at tn
extreme. Great Britain now has a
iuCluding building program OF nine.
IN their anxiety TO keep the tota
cruiser tonnage at q low figure III
Americans seemingly have the SUI
port Of 1Gpan. The indications ar
that the japanese are disturbed owe
the possibility of raising the cruise
figures TO meet the wishes Of the Bri
ish.
For the first time since the con
vening Of the triparlite conference
more than q fortnight ago--save fo
Sundays and the American Independ
ence day-the delegates were face
with a day on which there We're II
appointments for informal discus
eions. This accentuated the tension
Gibson Still Hopeful.
Alone among the principal delegate
Hugh S. Gibson OF the United State
presented a serene, smiling front.
Il still have hope it's on the way
be settled" he vouchsafed, but ques
kloning Of the American delegate
end technical experts revealed tina
apart from an agreement limiting II
armament of destroyerS and 9th,
smaller craft to 5-inch guns, no COZ
crete accord on a fairly wide sea
has been reached or is even well
sight.
The first lord said that the Bri
ish policy was based on the Viey
EXPRESSED by Mr.. Gibson in h
.-,,onoE, % = Tho opaujnp of the confe