Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS.

INCOMPLETE as the Anslo-Ameri-
can naval negotiations remain, it
is conceivable that any reason
II able person should not agree to
any compromise that might be hit
upon to bridge the remaining gap. Nor
can one fail at once to give full recog-
milton to the extent to which MacDon-
aid has already gone to make agree
ment possible.
As compared with what Lord Cush-
endun proposed at Geneva at the futile
conference of two years ago, the Brit
ish Labor premier has scaled down the
estimate of British necessity from 70
ships to so and from something like
100000 tons to 5000.
Today the British assert that an
equivalent of their estimate of their
tons distributed between eighteen
10,000-ton boats and seventeen 1000
ton craft. For themselves, they dis
tribute their tonnage between fifteen
10,000-ton boats and thirty-five averag-
ing between 5000 and 1000 tons.
What U. S. Seeks.
We, on our part. ask for twenty-one
10,000-ton boats and fifteen 7,000-ton
ships. In all cases the larger boats
carry S-inch guns and the smaller
6-inch guns. In practice the differ
ence comes down to the question OF
whether we shall have $4,000 or 800, 900
tons against $4,000 tons for the British.
UnqueStionably in this situation
neither the British nor the American
estimate of American equivalent can
be accepted, but just as certainly the
compromise that can easily emerge will
insure for the United States something
as near equality as is possible in an
hn
argue in technical terms and for ex-
perts to disagree, but the sensible man
in the street, both in London and in
Washington, can hardly fail to be salts
fed with the result.
The satisfactory character of the APP
preaching settlement Is adequately dis
closed the moment one undertakes to
examine the larger question of policy
underlying the merely technical prob
demand for equality was based upon the
conviction that the single sure way to
avoid being involved in any future con-
fict in which Britain was belligerent
was to possess a navy equal to the
British and thus so strong that Britain
at war would be bound to weigh
against any possible advantage in dis
regarding our rights as a neutral-the
hazard OF enlisting our fleet on the side
"a AASA OPPOAACiACs
American Striking Force.
But whether we have Is or 81 10000
ton cruisers and 300 900 or $4,000 tons
OF crQisers, We are assured of a fleet
adequate to wage neutrality and strong
enough to make 1t dangerous for the
British to invade our rights, as was
dope in 1872 and in 19l4-15-16. In
point OF fact, given the extent and the
scattered character of Britain's respon-
SibilitieS, we are bound in either case to
have greater capacity for concentra-
ton and more powerful striking force.
In any event, then, we have got what
We were after, and we have got it
largely because the mass of the British
people recognized after Geneva and
after the futile Anglo French naval
agreement that Anglo-American rela-
tons were becoming disagreeable, If
British people were prepared 10 pay
what seemed to them stiff price to
put an end to controversy that they
regarded as intolerable
No single detail in the political up
heaval that brought Labor to power ard
Macdonald to Downing street was more
unmistakable than the condemnaL lion
Of the Tory policy that had been re-
Sponsible for Anglo-American bicklr-
tngs. And Macdonald in his proposals
has certainly gone further in the way
OF concessions than most observers had
believed possible.
Whether the British or American pro-
posal be adopted-or, as Is much more
likely, a fair compromise be hit upon
the result will be that the British have
agreed to recognize In our case right
they have for more than two centuries
refused to grant to any other people
It is true that the alternative was a
long, costly and In the end losing COM
petition. but~thiS does not in the least
lessen the significance Of the decision
or diminish the importance of the COLI
cessions.
Submarine Issue Remains.
Moreover, nothing is less likely than
that Macdonald, when he comes to
talk with the President, will undertake