Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-23
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

There is more than meets the eye in
the Navy Department announcement
this week that six more cruisers built
more than 20 years ago and now out of
commission are to be sold and stricken
from the Navy register. Similar dis
posal of three cruisers in this category.
the Salem, Albany and New Orleans, was
announced a month ago. Secretary
Adams with the approval of the Presi-
dent Is putting into effect we'll calcu-
lated plan to weed out all of the
Nays % antiquated cruisers above
the age of 20 years. The purpose OF
this move is to foreStall pacifist out
cries when new cruisers are built or
when the next naval limitation confer
ence meets. The Hoover administration
does not intend to have any naval
yardstick" measure % old and useless
cruisers with a total nominal tonnage
Of 5000 tons when taking stock of
Americas naval resources. AS many of
them as possible will be eliminated in
the immediate future. The six slated
for the scrap heap, in this weeks an
nouncement, are the York, Birmingham,
~. A1OdAo, SAAoLNNaAAOOSdy DSo 1NA0AASo anu
Charleston.
No country in the world has as much
antiquated cruiser tonnage still carried
on the active list as the United States.
Great Britain has not single cruiser,
above 20 years of age, on its active list,
Japan has nine, France six and Italy
one. In disarmament conference de-
signed to limit cruiser tonnage the 49,
600 tons of dead" cruisers on the United
States roster would be a decided dis
advantage. And in dealing with Con-
gresS small navy" groups. despite the
obsolescence of the old ships, have per-
sisted in counting their tonnage in dis
cussing the cruiser strength of the Ma
ton. In offering its old ships for sale
the Navy Department is taking a leaf
from the book of the British admiralty
which disposes of war craft OF what
ever type just as soon as their naval
usefulness Is ended.
X n
Plans to name successor to Mrs. Al
vim T. Hert as vice chairman Of the
Republican national committe, at the
meeting of the committee on Sep
TENDER 9 are reported to have hit
some snags and the selection of the
new lady title holder may be deferred
SOIllC II bLuCy tLlO LloJ
mean that the boom for Mrs. Worthing-
ton Scranton of Scranton, Pa, initiated
by Mrs. Hert, for the vice chairman
ship will be extinguished. Curiously
enough, no other names Of aspirants
for this post have found their way into
wint, though It's said there is no dearth
Of candidates, ana r.valrleS are sharp
and wire pulling prodigious. In the last
analysis the new national chairman
presumably Claudius Huston of Ten
neSsee will do his own picking Of the
feminine colleague who must be a de-
voted, wealthy, amiable and tactful Of
fetal hostess.
Two Federal farms" for narcotic
convicts, already authorized by Con-
gress, designed to care for 1000 pris-
oners each, Is a major item In the Fed
eral penitentiary housing problem, which
the Presidents recent announcements
on this subject have omitted to men
ton. When established, the farms will
lift quite a load off the overburdened
backs of the Atlanta and Leavenworth
institutions. A commission. of which
DR.. Walter L. Treadway, chief Of the
narcotic division of the United States
Public Health Service, is chairman, and
Sanford Bates. Federal superintendent
of the Army are members, is now
engaged in selecting the. farm sites.
One is to be located in the Southeast
and the other in the Southwest. The
cost of the entire project, including
hospitals, is estimated at $4,000. 600.
Representative Porter of Pennsylvania
was the author Of the bill authorizing
this undertaking.
II \ II X
Perhaps the most noteworthy as
pect of this years sessions Of the In
stitue Of Politics now in progress at
Williamstown, Mass, and its young
er and fiourishing rival; the Institute
of Public Affairs at Charlottesville
Va. is the high degree OF public at
tention and interest which has been TO-
cused on the debates before these
forums. This year more than ever be-
fore the daily press has carried to Sthe