Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-18
j. S. MUST BUILD
TO REACH PARITY
Britain'S Inability to Reduce
Cruiser Strength Revealed
in Discussions.
BY DREW PEARSON.

Anslo-American naval negotiations
have now reached the stage where II
Is possible to summarize the CHIEF re-
suits Of the past two months OF the
Hoover Dawes Macdonald discussions.
They are:
1. A naval conference will probably
be held some time this Winter.
will be London.
3. The conference will take the place
of the regularly scheduled Capital Ship
Conference set for 1881 and will take up
battleships and airplane carriers as well
as. cruisers, destroyerS and submarines
4. 1t has become apparent that II the
United States is to obtain parity with
Great Britain, practically all OF the
15-cruiser building program will have
to be carried out and Mr.. Hoover's
hopes for naval economy Will go gllm-
mering.
These points of progress were among
the subjects discussed at the White
House breakfast this week when all Of
the General Board of the Navy con-
ferred with the President, Secretary OF
State Stimson, and Undersecretary
Cotton. ..
u. S. Will Have to Build.
Most important among these points
is the fact that Great Britain Is not
going to be able to greatly reduce her
cruiser strength and the United States
therefore, unless she cares to Sacrif1ce
that ch-discussed and long demand
ed principle Of parity, will have to build
The reasons for this dilemma are:
First, the fact that the British cruiser
fleet is now three times as great as
the American.
second. the fact that the cruiser
problem is not Anglo American. but
concerns to a greater extent. Britain,
France and Italy, so that England can
not reduce her cruiser fleet unless the
French and Italians limit theirs. Lastly,
Great Britain with her far-hung Empire
feels the need of large number Of
cruisers to police her African, ASiatic
and South Sea possessions.
It has now become apparent that no
matter what government holds the
reins In London, whether 1t be Tory,
Labor or Liberal, a navy large enough
to police the empire will be insisted
UPON. What the British admiralty Is
chiefly worrying about when it comes
to cruiser reduction is the protection
Of the jugular vein OF the empire
through Gibraiter and suez to India
and Australia.
France Building Navy.
Along this vital trade route, and
within easy striking distance of the
merchant ships which bring wheat,
meat and wool to England, Britain for
the past nine years has been watching
q potentially dangerous armada taking
shape. France has been building since
1920 six 1O,000-ton cruisers, three
7,800-ton cruisers, two airplane car
riers twenty-four fotilla leaders. nine
ty-one submarines and twelve SloopS.
This is a total Of 1854 ships, and the
construction program to be completed
by 1912 calls for 50 more.
Even closer to the British trade
route, Italy has authorized six 10000
ton cruisers, six 5,300-ton cruisers, one
aircraft carrier, forty-six deStroyerS
and thirty-one submarines. Her pro-
gram will give her total OF 100 de-
stroyers, which are among the fastest
in the world.
The British admiralty is not worry
ing about the danger Of war with the
United States across a 4,000-mile
stretch Of ocean, but the menace to
British shipping in the much closer
waters of the Mediterranean. Unless
France and Italy reduce their construc-
ton programs 1t seems impossible that
the British cruiser needs can be ma
terially reduced, no matter how urgent
the Hoover plea for naval economy.
Must Police Colonies.
Almost equally important to the
British admiralty Is the necessity Of
policing the African colonies, the
China coast, India, the Malays and the
South Seas. It Is the established policy
of the British Empire to keep cruiser
squadronS in colonial waters for the
sole purpose Of dropping anchor from
time to time In ports in order to re-
mind the natives Of the everpresent
omnipotence Of the Union Jack. To
this end there are six cruisers along
the China coast. seven in the South
Pacific. two in South Africa and five
in the West Indies. .-.
While there is no British objection
to granting cruiser parity to the United
States, 1t has been emphasized that this
parity must not weaken what the adj
miralty regards as its essential needs,
and that 1t must be obtained by an
American building program, rather than
by British reduction. .....,....
At present the difference between the
cruiser strength Of the two countries
stands at q ratio of about 20 to 1875.
II the United States completes the IS
cruisers recently authorized by Con-
gresS, this ratio will be brought up to
about 40 to 80. Part Of the remaining
difference can be whitfield down by
scrapping some Of the older British yes
sells, three Of which are already adver-
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