Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-26
HOOVER IS SURE
OF CRUISER RIGHTS
Adverse Reaction on Delay
Held Due to Lack of
Understanding.
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
early evidence that the Kellogg BRAND
treaty for remuneration of war is hay
ing the desired effect throughout the
world also is regarded as deeply sig
| nificant.
| Still another sign that vital founda-
lions already have been laid for pre-
| liminary naval conference is visuallzed
| on the basis Of Secretary Stimson's ex-
| PLANTATION late yesterday Of the prin-
| ciple of parity agreed upon by Prime
| Minister Macdonald and Ambassador
| Dawes as an outcome Of their discus
Sions in England.
That principle of parity in naval
strength as between the United States
| and Great Britain, the Secretary an
nounced, means absolute equality OF
| fighting strength in the two navies
| applying not only to capital ships and
| aircraft carriers, for which 1t was
| established at the 1922 arms confer
| ence, but TO all cruisers and the other
| categories of vessels which constitute
| those navieS."
The question of parity of ships Of
| 10,0 900 tons or less has been trouble
some one since the 1922 conference in
u
show that England now has 81 cruisers
ranging from $3.50 to 10000 tons. is
, building six of 10000 tons and two Of
$500, and has made appropriations for
| two of $500 tons. japan has 26 crulS-
ers of 400 to 10000 tons. Is building
six of 10000 tons and has appropriated
| for one more Of 10000 tons.
Figures for America.
In contrast, the figures for the United
| States show only 10 cruisers Of 1900
tons in commission, two out OF eight
| 10. O00-ton ships provided for under the
act of 1924-the Pensacola and Salt
Lake City-launched and nearly COM
pleted, and Is more Of the 10,000-ton
! type provided for in the three-year
| program which became law last Winter.
While the American Government has
provided for new cruiser tonnage
| amounting to 305.000 tons, appropria-
tions have been made for only rela-
lively small proportion of that author
lied construction. The British. on the
other hand, have actual appropriations
| for 397, lao tons, and the japanese for
| 2l3.955.
In addition to cruisers, the classes Of
ships to which the British-American
parity principle was not applied in the
| 1922 agreement include destroyers, sub
marines and other auxiliary craft, and
| a number of members of Congress have
frequently expressed the view that all
| must be brought within a limitation
! program If it is to be fully effective.
The recent series of developments
pointing toward that end has brought
a number of additions to the accumu-
lating body Of congressional comment
on the subject.
S~k- o.
While also commencing Mr.. Hoover's
desire for naval limitation, Senator
Oddie, Republican, Nevada, yesterday
asserted that parity with Great Britain
was not the only consideration in dis
armament. America should regard as
| well, he said, all possible combinations
of naval strength that might be allied
against it, and which, combined, would
! place the United States at a disad-
vantage.
Chairman Hale Of the Senate naval
committee and chairman Borah of the
foreign relations committee, discussing
the Presidents action with respect to
the building program, expressed
the opinion that Senate ratification of
an international naval limitation agree
ment would be necessary before any
part Of the construction authorized for
this year could actually be suspended
Hales view that, ito reach equality
when the Is new cruisers authorized
by the cruiser bill shall have been COM
pleted, Great Britain will have to scrap
many of her ships already built or in
process of building" Is shared, in effect,
by Paul v. McNutt, commander of the
American Legion, who, in q telegram to
action" which will prevent lin any way
the regaining by America of our lost
parity with Great Britain"
Stimson's Parity Statement.
The statement on the doctrine Of
parity issued late yesterday by Secre.
tary Stimson follows:
1.-The doctrine of parity which was
adopted by the Washington conference
British fleets as to capital ships, was
not doctrine of warfare, but doc
trine of craftsmanship. 1t does not
look to a future combat between those
two fleets, but has an exactly opposite
purpose, namely, to prevent such a
conflict. It's immediate purpose Is to
prevent those two navies from building
against each other and to accomplish
instead a reduction Of their respective
naval power.
cit thus represented an agreement
that they should not regard each other
as possible enemies in that they agreed
not to take the step which potential
enemies would take as the very first
step against each other, namely, to
| try to outbuild the other fleet.
1.-THE doctrine of parity, as thus used,
instead of being an impossible or futile
doctrine, is supremely intelligent. In
fact, it is the only doctrine by which
two proud and independent nations in
the position occupied by Britain and
America could agree to be friends and
eliminate the thought Of war between
them.
Extension Proposed.
"This beneficent principle Is now
proposed to be extended and agreed to
as the principle which should control
| the relations of the British and Ameri-
can navies, not only as to capital ships,
| but cruisers and the other categories of
! vessels which constitute those navies."
One other member of the cabinet
made q brief addition to official COM
ments yesterday. Secretary Adams
said, in response to questions Of news
paper correspondents. that Navy prep
aration of detailed plans of the
cruisers would be continued, that some
material for their construction had
already been purchased and that no
orders already placed for materials had
been Cancelled. He declined to amplify.
Endorsements Of Press.
President Hoover's action In haltine
the building of the cruisers. has received