Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-09-26

the disarmament conference France and Italy
declined 10 attend tile conference, but II was
attended by representatives from the United
States, Great Britain and Japan The conference
however. ended In deadlock In August 1927
due mainly to the fact. II was said that It was
conference Of "seamen and mol statesmen" and to
the refusal OF the British admiralty to surrender
actual supremacy.
year later Sir Austen Chamberlain, the Brit
fsh foreign secretary, announced In the House of
Commons that agreement had been reached
between England and France rs to the hnss Of
naval Limitation which would be submitted to the
next meeting Of the preparatory commission
When the terms of the agreement were made pub
Tic the United States declined to accept the com.
promise offered and In explanation Of its rejec-
ton, the State department said:
The position of the government OF the United
States has been and Is that any limitation
or naval armament to be effective should annly to
an classes OF combatant vessels The Franco
British agreement provides limitation whatso-
ever on sx-inch gun cruisers. desroyers sub
marines OF 600 tons less. 1t could not be
claimed that the type of vessels thus left without
limitation not highly efficient fighting ships
No one would 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 vari-
Gus parts OF the world, In fact such cruisers con-
sttute the largest number Of fighting ships
existing La the world,
The government Of the United States has earnest
iy and consistently advoca ted real reduction and
limitation OF naval armament 1t has given It's
best efforts toward finding acceptable methods OF
attaining this most desirable end ri would be
happy TO continue such efforts but Ii cannot con-
sent to proposals which would leave the door wide
open TO unlimited building of certain types Of
ships Of highly efficient combatant value and
would impose restrictions only types peculiarly
suited to American needs.
The American proposal al the Geneva confer
ence was, for the United States and the British
empire. total tonnage limitation in the cruiser
class OF from 100000 to 300, 600; and for Japan
from 10000 to $50 600, for the destroyer class
the United States and the British empire from
900 to 100000, and for Japan from 10000 to
10000 tons; for the submarine class for the Unit
ed States and the British empire 900 to 10000
tons and for Japan &C. 600 to $4,000 tons. Ii was
further stated by the American delegation that, IL
any power represented felt justified in proposing
still lower tonnage levels for auxiliary craft, the
American government would welcome such pro-
posa
The purpose OF these proposals was that there
might be no competition between the three pow
in the building of naval armament, that their
respective naves should be maintained al the low
est level compatible with national security and
should not be Of the size and character 70 war
rant the suspicion OF aggressive intent and. final
iy, that a wise economy dictates that further naval
construction be kept to minimum.
The next and most important movement toward
limitation took place early this year soon after
the new administration had gotten under way.
The Coolidge administration having failed 10 solve
the problem along technical lines" the Hoover
administration began seeking one along broad
political lines" One Of the most hopeful signs
looking towards its success Is the speed with
which The negotiations have progressed On April
% Of this year Hugh Gibson. ambassador to Bel
GUM, In an address before the preparatory dis
armament conference at Geneva told OF President
Hoover's desire to lend the administrations active
support of constructive limitation program and
proposed the now famous "yardstick" method Of
attaining practical parity between the United
States and Great Britain. In the meantime the
elevation OF RaLisay Macdonald to the premier,