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

ing in official correspondence between
friendly governments than the identic
note Just dispatched to Great Britain
and France by the United States on
the subject of their understanding as
to "a basis for naval limitation" Spades
are called spades.
The Washington Government with
out mmcing words or indulging in dip
lomatic delicatesSen. charges the Brit
ish and the French with formulating
= scheme deliberately designed to ieop-
ardize the United States position at sea.
The European powers are informed that
we reject proposals conceived to the
advantage of Great Britain and France
and which are devoid Of similar con-
sideration" for the needs of the United
States.
Thus, American diplomacy, at one
stroke, tears the veil OF secrecy from
the face of an unsavory European dip
iomatic transaction and unequivocally
afirms the United States Discrimination
to fall into the trap it would have laid.
Stripped of technical details. this is
what has happened: The British and the
French, in anticipation of the next
meeting of the Preparatory Commission
for the League of Nations Disarmament
Conference, agreed upon a program OF
four cardinal points. Two of these
points refer to capital ships" of over
10000 tons-already limited by the
terms of the Washington conference.
The other two points apply to cruisers
and submarines, neither of which types
of vessels is comprehended under the
Washington agreement.
Now come the British and the French
and agree that cruisers capable of car
rying 6-inch guns. e., below 10000
tons-and ocean-going submarines OF
lower tonnage than 800 tons shall re-
main unlimited. The Joker" in the
Anglo-French proposals is not apparent
on the surface. 1t is to be found in the
fact that 1O,000-ton cruisers and sub
marines of more than 500 tons are
those which are not essential to the
British and French navies, but which
happen to be vital to the naval de-
fensive needs of the United States.
In other words, Britain and France
would. place no limit upon the class OF
fighting ships they require, but would
restrict the construction of the kind OF
cruisers and submarines which the
United States must have. Uncle Sam
needs cruisers and submarines OF wider
cruising range than either Great Britain
or France, because he lacks the far
flung series of fueling bases and naval
stations which the British, in particu-
lar, possess, all over the globe. The
French, on their part, can manage with
men-of-war of limited cruising capacity
because Frances essential naval needs
are in the Mediterranean within rela-
tively short distance of home shores,
The American note points to an addl-
tional advantage which the Anglo
French proposition would give to a
country like Britain. with an immense
merchant marine feet, whose units
could be armed with 6-inch guns with
out restriction.
What the United States has now said,
in a nutshell, is that America intends
10 build and maintain an American
Navy and not a Navy constructed on
Anglo French lines. At Geneva, In
1927. this Government made an earnest,
honest effort to bring about further
limitation of naval armament Our ef-
forts proved abortive The American
delegation held the British responsible
for the breakdown Of the conference.
The proposals now put forth by the
British and the French are pilloried IN
the American note just dispatched as
constituting no limitation at all The
proposals, indeed, are branded as even
more Objectionable and unacceptable"
than the ones which frustrated agree
ment at Geneva a year ago. In the
opinion of the United States, they full
fill none of the conditions which seem
vital" They are assailed, in the clos
ing passage of an altogether remarka-
bic communication, as destined in
evitably to lead to a recrudescence Of
naval competition disastrous TO ma
tional economy"
1t is devoutly to be hoped that the
strong American diplomatic action just
taken may be followed by equally eff
fective congressional action next VIM
ter. There is pending before the Sem
ate the bill passed by the House last
Spring, providing for fifteen l0.000-ton
cruisers. The Senate should pass that
measure.
Even if those 10000 tons were afloat
today, the American Navy would still
be inferior in cruiser electives to the
strength of the British and japanese
navies. That was not the intent of the
$50 agreement of 1922. 1t is not
the wish Of the American people. Amer
lea. as the note TO the European powers
is at pains TO reaffirm, continues ready
and anxious to promote naval disarma-
ment, but not at the cost of rank in
justice to our own necessities.
Radio time is valuable The time oil
the listener-in IS not always estimated
as being worth much.