Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-24
Naval Limitation on the March.

Parity, yardstick, 6,o00-ton cruisers,
10.000-ton cruisers, guns, speed, battle
effectiveness, replacements-all these
shibboleths of naval disarmament,
important as each of them is. vanish
into relative insignificance alongside
the latest concrete development in the
Anglo American limitation situation.
That development Is the definite
announcement that Prime Minister
Macdonald is coming to Washington.
He is due about the middle of october.
His arrival is bulletined together with
the statement that, as result of the
protracted negotiations carried on In
London by Ambassador Dawes and the
British premier, the groundwork for
cruiser agreement has been effectively
laid.
We now know why final and formal
proclamation Of Mr.. MacDonald's
travelling plans has so long been with
held. Obviously he could not cross the
Atlantic on the mere chance OF an
agreement with the United States.
Government international business Is
not transacted on such basis. Unless
all indications are deceptive, Messrs
Macdonald and Hoover will meet virtu-
ally to ratify an understanding for
which the way will already have been
well and truly paved. There will still
be many a slip between the cup OF
preparation and the lip of limitation,
but they are not likely to be slips that
can irnperil an eventual accord on vital
points.
Neither Washington nor London has
thus far taken the public into its con-
hdence as to the precise nature OF the
foundations on which an Anglo
American cruiser entente is to rest.
President Hoover has disclosed the
cardinal feature-viz.. parity which, by
whatever "yardstick" achieved, Will
assure "the complete defense of the
United States in any contingency"
Since Mr.. Hoover gave the country that
very gratifying assurance, it has come
to public knowledge, on apparently well
founded authority, that it will probably
be necessary, after all, for the United
States to build the fifteen 10,000-ton
cruisers authorized by Congress this
year. Even then, it seems, American
cruiser strength will not fully equal
British tonnage. But by refraining
from replacing, during the next four
or five years, some of her 7o,0o0-odd
tons Of cruisers now approaching the
obsolete stage, Britain will make pos
sible an approximation of tonnage
parity with the United States fleet
provided always that the American
cruiser program is carried out.
II these reported bases Of agreement
prove to be authentic, one highly de-
sirable condition will be brought about
in Washington. Automatically the
threatened cruiser contest between the
President and Congress will be averted.
There will be no question Of the right
or wrong of Mr.. Hoover's action In
curtailing construction Of the 1929-1930
cruisers His move in that direction
month ago will transpire to have been
exactly what the United States Gov
eminent Enthusiastically intended 1t to
be, namely, a graphic gesture designed
to convince Great Britain Of the sin
cerity and single-mindedness OF our
naval limitation program. It is deeply
to be regretted that France and Italy,
as was the case in the Coolidge Con-
ference" at Geneva in 1927, appear
likely to be missing from the Hoover
Macdonald Conference which is to be
convened in London this Winter. There,
as at Geneva, only Britain, America
and Japan will be in session. 1t needs
to be remembered. too. that when the
President of the United States and the
premier of the British Empire stretch
their legs under the White House
mahogany in october, they will, and
can, let their minds meet on the issues
which concern their respective gov
ernments. But no vast political per-
spicacity Is required to know that, once
John Bull and Uncle Sam have buried
the naval Ratchet, all will be well for
Anglo American peace, at sea and
otherwise, and that will be well for
the whole world.