The Washington times., 1929-06-03
NEW NAVY PACT
To BE DAWES
FIRST JOB
By GEORGE R, HOLMES
international News Service


understanding between the
United States and Great
Britain will be speeded up as
soon as Charles G.. Dawes ar
rives in London to assume his
ambassadorship.
It il probable that Dawes first
major task In London will be the
presentation of the new plan for
measuring the relative strength Of
the American and British navies'
which has been worked out here
under President Hoover's direction.
In naval circles the plan IL called
"a new yardstick."
While its details remain undis-
closed, the understanding il that It
involves a totally different method
of arriving at each nations needs
than has ever been discussed by the
EXPERTS in their various attempts to
get together at the Geneva meet
ings.
Exist on Paper
Meanwhile, there was an under
current of rumbling in Congress to.
day among those who led the bit
ter fight in the last Congress for
the enactment Of the 15.cruiser pro-
gram, which calls for the laying
down Of five 10,000.ton cruisers each
year until 1882.
President Hoover's forthcoming
proposal to the British involves the
scrapping of these cruisers. which
now exist, of course, only on paper.
Under the enactment law. the
President was given power to sus'
pend building in the event OF IAN
international agreement" which ne
was earnestly" importuned to pro-
mote. The navy people allowed that
to go into the bill as a concession
and now it has arisen to plague
them.
Decision Awaited
If the new American ''yardstick"
is acceptable to the British as a
basis for arriving at the relative
naval needs of the two countries
the 15-cruiser program goes by the
boards, for President Hoover aims
not only to regulate the size or
navies, but to actually reduce them.
A decision must be had In the
next two months, or by August !.
Already, Secretary Of the Navy
Adams, at President Hoover's d.
rection, has delayed submission OF
his cruiser estimates to the Bureau
of the Budget. II no understanding
is reached with the British by Au-
gust / however, these estimates
must be submitted and the work
gone ahead with under the law.
It is considered doubtful, however,
whether all the Is cruisers ever viii
ever see water. Five of them must
be laid down this year, under ths
law, providing no agreement Is
reached.
The Navy will receive bids on
them this week. Under the enact
ment law the President is empow-
cred to stop construction any time
IAN international agreement" Is
reached, SO that even If the five
keeps are laid down for this year
the building of the 10 for 1880 and
it would still be possible to suspend
1881.
Cruisers the Crux
The heart of the Anglo-American
naval differences lies in cruisers.
The British, with their coaling
stations and naval bases all over
the world, can utilize small cruisers
to Just about as much advantage
as large cruisers.
The United States, with its far
flung bases and tremendous dis
tances, cannot. American experts
contend that American defense re.
ouirements demand the cruiser of
II, 900 tons. 1t was upon the rock
of that difference that one Geneva
meeting went completely to smash.
The new "yardstick," which the
experts here have worked out under
President Hoover's direction, aims
at an adjustment Of this stubborn
controversy on basis of relative
needs.