Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-29

! The text of the note to the British
and French governments follows:
The Government of the United States
has received from his majesty's govern
ment communication summarizing the
understanding reached between the
British and French governments as to
basis of naval limitation, which
agreement, it is stated, will be sub
mitted to the next meeting Of the
preparatory commission for the dis
armament conference.
The Government of the United States
is willing to submit certain suggestions
as to the basis of naval limitation as
summarized in the British note. From
the communication Of the British gov
eminent it appears that:
THE limitations which the disarma-
ment conference will have to determine
will deal with four classes of men of
war.
I'D Capital ships, i. e., ships of over
10000 tons or with guns OF more than
eight-inch caliber.
"(2) Aircraft carriers of over 10000
tons.
"(3) Surface vessels of or below
10000 tons, armed with guns of more
than six-inch and up to eight-inch
caliber.
90 Ocean-going submarines over
600 tons"
Consider Two Glasses.
AS the Washington treaty regulates
the first two claSseS-that is, capital
ships and aircraft carriers-the pre-
paratory commission will have to con-
slider only the last two categories, so
far as the SignatorieS of that treaty are
concerned.
From the foregoing summary of the
agreement it appears that the only
classes of naval vessels which it is pro-
posed to limit under the Franco
British draft agreement are cruisers of
or below 10000 tons. armed with guns
of more than siX-inch and up to eight
inch caliber, and submarines of over
600 tons The position of the Govern
ment of the United States has been
and now is that any limitation OF naval
armament to be effective should apply
to all classes of combatant vessels. The
Franco British agreement provides no
limitation whatever on SiX-inch gun
cruisers, or destroyerS, or submarines OF
900 tons or less. 1t could not be
claimed that the types of vessels thus
left without limitation are not highly
deny that modern cruisers armed with
SiX-inch guns, or destroyerS similarly
armed. have very high offensive value.
especially to any nation possessing we'll
distributed bases in various parts of the
world. In fact, such cruisers consti-
tute the largest number of fighting
ships now existing in the world. The
limitation of only such surface vessels
as are restricted in Glass of the draft
agreement-that is, cruisers of or below
10000 tons, armed with guns of more
than siX-inch and up to eight-inch
caliber-would be the imposition of re-
strictionS only on types peculiarly suited
to the needs of the United States. The
United States cannot accept as a dis
tinct class surface combatant vessels of
or below 10000 tons armed with guns
Of more than siX-inch and up to eight
inch caliber. 1t is further clearly ap-
parent that limitation of this type only
would add enormously to the compare
tive offensive power of a nation pos
sessing large merchant tonnage, on
which preparation may be made in
times OF peace for mounting six-inch
guns.
Proposal Cited.
At the three-power conference at
Geneva in 1927 the British delegation
proposed that cruisers be thus divided
into two classes: those carrying eight
inch guns and those carrying guns of
six inches or less in caliber. They pro-
posed further that eight-inch gun
cruisers be limited to a small number
or to small total tonnage limitation
and that the smaller class of cruisers
carrying SiX-inch guns or less be per-
mltted much larger total tonnage, or,
what amounts to the same thing, to
very large number of cruisers of this
class. The limitation proposed by the
British delegation on this smaller class
Of cruisers was so high that the Ameri-
can delegation considered it, in effect,
no limitation at ALL This same pro-
posal is now presented in a new and
even more Objectionable form which
still limits large cruisers which are
suitable to American needs but frankly
places no limitation whatever on cruis-
erS carrying guns of six inches or less
in caliber. This proposal is obviously
incompatible with the American posi-
ton at the three-power conference. It
is even more unacceptable than the
proposal put forward by the British
delegation at that conference not only
DCCduSC AZ puUo tIlC OIllOcO OIdI6S dG d
decided disadvantage but also because
it discards altogether the principle of
limitation as applied to important COM
Blatant types of vessels.
Much of what has been said above
as to vessels in class of the Franco
British agreement applies with equal
or greater force to class 4. The Ameri-
can Government can not accept as a
distinct class of submarine those of
over 600 tons leaving unlimited all sub
marines of 600 tons or under. SiX-hun-
dred-ton submarines are formidable
combatant vessels. They carry the
same torpedoes as are carried by larger
submarines and of equal destructive
force within the radius of their oper-
alton. They can also be armed with
guns of five-inch caliber The United
States would gladly, in conjunction
with all the nations of the world,
abolish the submarine altogether. If.