Evening star., 1929-06-04
j. s. WILL CONTINUE
| CRUISER BUILDING
is Ships Made Mandatory
Under Program Until Agree
ment Is Reached.
Nv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The American cruiser building pro-
gram will be carried forward by Presi-
dent Hoover as laid down by Congress
and provision for new ships will be
made in the next Federal budget.
The administration recognizes that
work toward construction of is addi-
tional l0.0O0-ton fighting ships is made
mandatory under the program until an
agreement for reduction Of sea arma-
snents is reached by the leading ma
tio1s s-Id ratified by the Senate, and
the President has no intention of at
tempting to modify or abandon that
policy.
Contrary interpretations drawn from
che Presidents Memorial day address
and the statement issued afterward by
Secretary Stimson, emphasizing the ire
rnendous economic burden placed upon
the powers by present naval require
lnents. are described in high admins
tration circles as erroneous
No Agreement in Sight.
Although the administration Is hearth
" in favor of a reduction OF naVal
ornaments and has moved toward that
end by suggesting, through Ambassa-
dor Hugh S. Gibson at the Geneva Pre-
paratory Disarmament Conference, a
new basis for evaluattng relative naval
strength, it regards an actual agree
ment as unlikely in the near future
Without such an agreement. ratified by
the Senate, no modification or abandon
rner1t of the American building program
can be considered.
As the disarmament situation now
stands, the Preparatory Commission Is
marking time while the principal pow
ers are studying and undertaking to
make practical application to their own
navics Of the "yardstick" formula pre-
sented by Ambassador Gibson.
This formula is that in evaluatinG
relative naval strength there be taken
into account, besides tonnage, arma-
111ent sneed and age as well as some
less important factors. The delegates
to the Geneva conference received the
proposal with a show of enthusiasm.
Slow Progress Expected.
Oficials here say that, since highly
technical questions are involved. SLOW
progress is to be expected. First. the
naval experts of the Sther powers must
determine how the yardStick" can be
applied to their own navies taking into
account their individual needs for GER
tain types and classes of ships.
Having made this determination, tney
like the American experts, must tnen
settle upon the ratio in the whole
equation that is to be given to tonnage
to armament and to the other factors
The opinion here is that the experts OF
no two nations Will arrive at preciseIy
the same figures of percentage.
After the experts Of the f1ve leaolne
sea powers have computed their per-
centage scale they will report to the
preparatory commission, which ao-
journed subject to call.
Reassembling in Switzerland, the ex.
perts of the various nations then VIII
be faced with the problem OF composing
their differences in the effort TO reach
a common "yardstick" applicable to al
the navies.
Agreements Essential.
These computations and agreements
are essential to future disarmament
conference unless some other 1ormuls
can be worked out An tne mean'nne
and there is no suggestion that any
other will be forthcoming unit! every
effort has been made to apply th'
American plan.
While oficials here say they do not
care to make any prediction as 10 tne
time for holding the next disarmament,
meeting, from the nature Of the tasA
ahead Of the naval experts, such con-
ference during the present year is re-
Rarded generally in Washington al
highly improbable.
Some naval opinion seems to be thai
there is little likelihood OF meeting
of the great powers in advance OF ina
provided for in the Washington Arms
Conference treaties, which is in 1891
The date. however, may be advanced
from Midsummer Of that year to thu
early Spring.