Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-25
An Other States and Canada.
Real Naval Limitation.


Hoover are political realists Of daring
magnitude. without waiting for Pariia-
ments, Congresses or conferences to act
On naval limitation, the British premier
and the American President yesterday.
within few hours Of each other, took
bold and dramatic steps in the direction
Of curtailing expenditure on sea arn1a-
hent.
In the House Of Commons Mr. Mac
Donald announced that Great Britain
win suspend work on two lo,000-ton
cruisers already laid down In govern
lnent yards by the late Baldwin min
tstry: that two submarine contracts will
be Cancelled and dockyard work re-
duced at once, and that no start will
be made on Britain's 1929 program
providing for two more l0,000-ton
cruisers and many smaller ships. None
Of this construction is now to be UNDER
taken. the premier said. before "further
examination in the Autumn"
No sooner had these momentous
ttdings siEzled over the transatlantic
cable than President Hoover cleared for
action in almost identical terms. Still
under the spell Of the kellogg pact
ceremony at the White House, Mr..
Hoover issued a communique In direct
rejoindeY to the British prime minister's
statement. "It marks a new departure
In discussion of naval disarmament"
said the President In cordial approval
Of Mr.. MacDonalds announcement, and
added: THE premier introduces the
principle Of parity which We have now
adopted. and It's conSummation means
that Great Britain and the United
states henceforth are not to compete
in armament as potential opponents.
but to cooperate as friends In the
reduction of it."
Thereupon, suiting action TO words,
President Hoover proclaimed that the
United States will not lay down the
keels Of three 10,000-ton cruisers Of the
1929 building program recently author
tied by Congress. Ordinarily, these
es,ips-r1ow existent merely as blue
print drawings-would have been put
OF, the stocks some time this Fall. But,
a. the President points out. lit is the
desire Of the United States to show
equal good will in our approach to the
problem" (of Anglo-American limita-
tom.
From quarters not fired with evan
eelical zeal for disarmament the charge
IA likely to b forthcoming that Mr..
Hoover has fiown in the face OF Con-
gress by hating cruiser building which
the House and Senate ordered: There
L. no justification for such q suggestion.
Tho three cruisers which the President
IL holding up pending opportunity for
full consideration of their effect upon
the iinal agreement for parity, which
We expect to reach" are among the ID
ships which Congress authorized to
be laid down at stated intervals within
q period Of three years. But Mr.. Hoover
"a at liberty, under the cruiser law. to
postpone the laying down Of the ships
In question until the end Of any given
current fiscal year. which lin the case
Of the fiscal year 1880 is yet more than
eleven months away. In the meantime
the President hopes for more develop
ments In the direction Of q disarma-
Hent agreement.
Mr.. Hoover does not fail to point
cut that, generally speaking, British
cruiser strength considerably exceeds
American strength at the present time"
There Is q deal Of milk in that par
ticular coconut. The American people
are anxious to look upon our British
eousins-as the President puts it-as
cooperating friends and not potential
foes. But Uncle Sam will not be con-
tent. even In his most altruistic and
pacific mood. to be O whit weaker at
sea than John Bull.
Happily, President Hoover. in the
stress he lays on parity. identifies him
self resolutely with that principle. He
may be expected TO stand by It. He
viii not fell to vindicate II when Pre-
laier Macdonald pays us In october
the visit now definitely determined
upon. In the interval there Is no cause
for Midsummer heat upon the part
either of naval zealots or peace-at-
any-price pacifsts. With practical
idealists like Ramsay Macdonald and
Herbert Hoover on the Anglo-Amercian
naval limitation Job. that cause is in
safe and sane hands. The future may
trustfully be allowed to take care Of
itself under their enlightened guidance.