Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-28
EXPERTS DEFINE"
GIBSON FORMULA
Explanation in Few Words Is
Declared Impossible by
Naval Leaders.
BY DREW PEARSON.

NuN IIldb hIIlUdSodQOI AIlOOtiA
has evolved new and magic formula
for the settlement of naval rivalry
which has ruffled Anglo-American
amity for more than two year, the
average uneXpert person whose naval
education comes from looking at the
Sunday pictorial supplement would not
object to knowing in few brief and
simple words just what that formula is.
To this end the writer approached
four naval experts and high-ranking
diplomats with request for enlighten-
ment. In every case they threw up
their hands. The formula, they said
could be worked out. OF this they
were sure. That it would take several
months to work out, however, they we're
also fairly sure; and that it would take
even longer to secure British accep-
lance, they were even surer.
To explain what the formula meant
in few simple words, they said was
impossible.
Formula Defined Somehow.
After several conversational sallies,
however, definition of the formula
was volunteered, which although not
brief and not exactly simple, is the
clearest so far obtainable. 1t is about
200 words long and then dosen't tell
the whole story.
AS described by one naval expert.
here it is:
THE most powerful cruiser we can
build under the Washington treaty is
a brand-new 10000-ton vessel carving
8-inch guns Since she has the maxi
mum fighting strength, we'll give her
an index number of 100. All other
cruisers will be given figures represent
Ing their strength as compared with
the strength of this strongest of all
cruisers.
Take, for instance, a vessel weighing
1000 TONS carrying 6-inch guns and
about 10 years old. Her lower tonnage
is the most important factor in reduc-
ing her fighting strength. and would
give her formula of about 10. were it
not for the fact that she carries 6-inch
guns. This further fact reduces her
formula by at least 10 points more.
Then since she is 10 years old another
points should be subtracted, giving her
a final fighting strength of SIS, as COM
pared with the 10000 TONER'S formula
Of 100.
Figure this out for the entire Amer
lean f1eet-for cruisers, deStroyers and
submarines, taking each category sep
arately. Do the same thing for the Brit
1sh fleet. Allow each country a total
fighting strength figure-for cruisers
say of $500. Then let them partition
their cruiser strength within that figure
as they see fit
I'm addition to the factors of guns.
tonnage and age, you must also figure
In the factors of speed and armor."
And That's Not All.
Involved as this formula is however.
this is not all After the concrete
factors outlined above are figured out,
then the naval experts must grapple
with the unconcrete and ethereal fac
tors. These, in the opinion of the
United States in the past, are most i'm
portant Of all.
They consist Of, first, naval bases.
with which Great Britain has dotted
all the important sea lanes of the
world, and, second, merchant marines.
In which Great Britain is about eight
times as strong as the United States
These were the factors which lurked
In the background of the Geneva
naval conference of 1927, and which
actually caused its failure
Speaking Of the British merchant
marine, Ambassador Gibson, who now
proposes the new formula, said at Ge-
neva on August 4, 1927:
The British government has at its
disposal approximately $50 600 tons of
fast merchant ships capable of being
readily converted into cruisers and
armed with many 6-inch guns. We, on
the other hand, have only $780, 900 tons
of such ships. We are asked to limit
strictly the number Of cruisers on which
8-inch guns may be mounted, and
eventually TO abandon that gun Alto
gether in favor of the 6-inch gun"
The United States, therefore, de-
manded 10,000-ton cruisers because
their 8-inch guns can outshoot the g.
inch gpns carried on war time by
British passenger vessels. Or, as ex-
planned by Admiral Hilary P. Jones, on
June %, 1927, in Geneva:
Give me the Mauritania armed with
80 6-inch guns and I'll sink any cruiser
afioat. She may be an eggshell and
a large target, but you could shoot me
full Of holes and ] wouldn't sink, where
as cruiser is so heavy that one or
two well placed shots will send her
under. The Mauretania could steam
circles around any large cruiser which
is necessarily slowed down by heavy
armor."
Naval Strength Increase Sought.
The United States also demanded
10,000-ton cruisers because OF their long
cruising radius which is essential be-
tween the widely scattered American
naval bases
These two final factors are to be
figured in the naval formula. as re-
CARDS total nAvies rather than individ-
ual ships. In other words. larger per-
centage OF naval strength must be
allowed the United States, at least, ac-
cording to the naval experts, in order
TO compensate her for her smaller mer-
chant marine and fewer naval bases.
Copyright, 1929
BRITAIN APPLAUDS