The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-09-25
BY MILTON BRONNER
NEA Service Writer

| NEA Service Writer
r ONDON, Sept. 25.-Despite the
IL calm efforts that President
Hoover and Prime Minister Ram
say Macdonald are making to iror
out differences between America
and Great Britain on the question
of naval parity and to seek for
lnula for the vexed question of the
freedom of the seas, the projected
meeting of these two warriors fol
peace in Washington this fall vii
face plenty Of vexing problems.
The American President and the
British premier will be treading to-
gether path on which they will
be harried by the die-hardS and the
big navy men of their respective
nations. And even if they agree
upon a common platform, there still
will be France and Italy, who will
prove tough customers with their
rival demands and their rival pro-
grams.
Just as soon as the two states
men announce that they have found
a way to bring about a parity be-
tween the American and the Brit
ish navies, two questions will be
asked
In AMERICA: How about Brit
aims vast mercantile marine,
many of whose vessels can be
rapidly converted into auxiliary
cruisers?
IN BRITAIN: How about Amer
ica's vast superiority in airplanes
attached to its feet?
They will not be idle questions
They will be very serious questions
and they will be very hard to an
swer.
Swift Ships Big Asset
The World war showed the enor-
nous value of swift-running passen-
ger ships which could be converted
into cruisers and commerce de-
stroyers and troop conveyors. Many
of these vessels could show a clean
pair Of heels to all but the swiftest
ships i'll the war naVies.
Now Britain owns more than dou-
BILE what we do in mercantile vessels.
More than 20 per cent Of its mer-
camille marine is less than five years
old. Only 81 per cent of ours is.
When we come to the big liners of
$4,000 tons and more, Britain once
more displays a great superiority. 1t
owns more than so per cent of such
vessels.
The line of attack of the British
die-hards was recently clearly in
dicated by significant article writ
ten for the Daily Telegraph of Lon
don by it's naval correspondent.
Among other things he said:
"That aircraft have become an
integral and vital component Of
naval power is admitted by all COM
petent authorities. From now on,
therefore, the factor of air strength
must be included when estimating
the power of navies. At present the
United States is enormously superior
to all others in air strength and its
lead is being rapidly increased"
America Far Ahead
He says that on March ! of this
year we had in our navy 867 effec-
tive airplanes to Britain's 1876. Since
then purchases have been author
lied on both sides which bring
Americas strength to LAO and
Britain's to 153. In July, he says,
our navy department at one blow
ordered 1927 as many as the total
possession of the British navy.
But assuming that all difficulties
are composed between America and
England, it has been announced the
proposal then is to call in France
Italy and Japan and get them to
agree with us on common pro-
gram. This is going to be more
difficult than Anglo-American
agreement, hard as the latter may
prove.
France and Italy were willing in
1924 to fall into line when it came
to cutting down the number of bat
tleships and battle cruisers, but
when it comes to reducing and
limiting the number of lighter
cruisers and submarines, both the
Latin nations are prepared to buck
Even while cycling each other with
yelled hostility and distrust, they
will unite on this.
Formulas Dribble Widely
The formula worked out at the
famous Washington naval confer
ence was:
America and England-5.
Japan-3.
France and Italy-1.75.
According to the French thesis,
the formula should bee
England-10.9.
Francois.
United States-3.7.
Japan-1.3.
italy,.
France and Italy accepted parity
between them at Washington. 1t is
doubtful whether either will be will
ing to do so again. Even If Italy
expressed a willingness to do so,
France would object.
Leading papers in France have
pointed out that Italy can keep all
her vessels in one seattle Medi-
terranean. But important as this
sea is to France as passage to her
great granaries in north Africa, they
say France also has to keep vessels
In the Atlantic and in the English
channel. Wherefore they need a