Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-15
New Hope for Naval Limitation.

New hope LOT naval LlmltdCloH'
Prospects for a naval limitation
agreement between the United States
and Britain are Frightening, according
to news dispatches based ION the high
est authority" This is distinctly good
news. A race between the two nations
In the matter of naval strength would
be costly and Of benefit only to the
manufacturers of armor and arms.
Every sensible American admits today
the need of Navy adequate for ma
tional defense. But every sensible
American must admit that anything be-
yond that limit is bound to be burden
and to result in placing heavier bur-
dens on other peoples.
The naval experts Of this country
and Britain have labored long over the
! proper "yardstick" to be used in meas
uring the strength of the two navies,
In an effort to reach some kind of for
rnula for naval parity. The task has
been made more difficult, because, like
experts in other lines all naval experts
do not agree The American naval ex-
pert has his own ideas, and so has
! the British expert The Hoover admin
/ istration and the new British govern
ment. under the leadership Of Ramsay
Macdonald. are endeavorinR TO cut
their way through the tangle which has
3 arisen. while at the same time not
ignoring the expert naval advice &C
corded by the officers of the United
States and British navies. There APP
parently is In sight more simplif1ed
manner Of dealing with the problem
and reaching at last common basis
for parity"
The British government, through Mr..
Macdonald, has agreed to the principle
of naval parity between the United
/ States and Britain. This has been
sine qua non If the United States Is
to enter into further agreement for
naval limitation. The American people
would agree to nothing less. The prob
lem has been, in part, to bring about
parity and at the same time lessen, II
possible. the size of the navies, rather
/ The British, it now appears, while be-
ing unwilling to scrap naval vessels al
ready constructed, or on which con-
siderable percentage of work has al
ready been done, are willing to reduce
their cruiser strength, for example, by
failing to make requirements of British
cruisers which become obsolete. This
may be O longer process, but 1t also
avoids the criticism which the destruc-
ton Of property costing the taxpayers
millions Of dollars. or pounds, neces-
sarily brings. The United States, at the
washington conference in 1922,
made q magnificent gesture In the in
terests Of naval limitation. 1t strapped
millions of dollars worth of powerful
chips. It gave the world thrill at
time when 1t needed one. But there
has been criticism Of the act since then
here in America.
The United States Government has a
cruiser. building program calling for
fifteen new 10,000-ton cruisers. The
probabilities are that all or nearly all Of
these cruisers must be constructed II this
country Is to reach naval parity with
Great Britain and the latter is not WILL
ing to scrap existing ships or those near
~ constructed. President Hoover's re-
cent announcement that construction Of
three Of these cruisers would be sus-
pended was q gesture Of willingness to
reach an agreement with Britain-a
gesture In answer to that of Premier
Macdonald, who had Immediately be-
fore declared the suspension of work on
three British war vessels. There is not
the slightest doubt these friendly geS.
lures had their effect in both countries
Hope grew anew that the impasse which
has existed over naval limitation agree
ments during the last few years would
be broken. There is much in the spirit
with which q difficult problem is un-
dertaken, and the Americans and Brit
iSh, If they meet on naval limitation
within q short time as now promised.
doubtless will meet in more generous
spirit.