Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-12
Peace, Profit and Parity.


naval treaty. which will carry strong
conviction to the country, Preaident
Hoover proclaims his approval of the
results achieved and his admirat ton for
the patience and determination" with
which the American delegation at Lon
don has carried out IAN arduous and
difficult negotiation"
The President also congratulates the
delegations of other governments for
their constructive and courageous sc-
ton" Mr.. Hoover here is plainly felici-
tsting our tripartite co-signatorieS,
Great Britain and Japan. He cannot
mean to toss any laurels in the direc.
ton Of France and Italy, for, whatever
their motives or justification, it was
they who frustrated the conference S
hopes of quintuple pact, which would
have made what President Hoover calls
the "f1nal success" a far more complete
one than is actually accomplished.
The White House Interpretation of
the three-power pact may be said to
stress three cardinal points which can
be described as peace, profit and parity
Each is so important that it is not
easy to designate any one Of them as
outstanding. The emphasis which the
President lays on the magnitude of
developments at London In 1880, as
compared TO what was proposed at
Geneva in 1927. indicates plainly the
ysrdstick by which he believes We
should measure the present success. 1t
was the Geneva basis" in all its costli-
ness and mistrust breeding naval
rivalry, Mr. Hoover solemnly af1irms
drifting"
The London Conference has steered
us away from those rocks. 1t Is there
fore Individually, in the Presidents
words. "a great accomplishment for
peace" 1t is entitled to that distinc-
ton because it marks the abolition of
competition among the greatest naval
powers. The glo.American- japanese
treaty is 10 run for merely fve years
from 1881 to 1898. Mr.. Hoover speaks
of the final abolition Of warship-
building rivalry. evidently he has rea-
son to believe that the great naval
powers will not retrace, when they con-
fer again six years hence, the steps
they are now taking.
The President, ruling q realm In
which money talks"--in this case the
money of taxpayers-gives graphic
summary of how they will profit from
cessation of naval building under the
London treaty. The United States, DUR
ing the next six years, is called upon TO
spend for replacement and new con-
struction from $3.50 900 900 to $780,
600 900. But to have brought the Amer
lean fleet to equality with the British
navy and to a point of proper proper
ton to the feet Of Japan would have
cost on terms discussed at Geneva,
Al 400 900 900 to 81, 600, 900 600. Taking
into consideration the additional cost
of maintenance and operating, which
would have been entailed by the Geneva
feet, the six-year saving upon the Lon
don basis is estimated by Mr.. Hoover
to be a round billion dollars.
There remains, along with the con-
crete promises of peace and profit, the
result which America has held to be
the sine qua non of any limitation
arrangement, viz. parity with Great
Britain. The President assures the coun-
try that this has been achieved. There
will be utter numerical equality in bat
tleships, aircraft carriers, destroyers
and submarines. The American and
British fleets will total, roughly, 1885,
900 tons each. There will be slight
discrepancy in aggregate cruiser ton.
mage, but it will be Of no combat i'm
portance. In terms of reduction, Mr..
Hoover asserts. each navy will have
about $1,000 tons less than it would
have had, if Geneva, 1927, instead of
London, 1880, had prevailed.
Peace. profit and parity-it Is,
trinity of results, after all these weary
weeks of waiting, which is substantial
and satisfactory. The Presidents con-
gratulations to our fellow countrymen
who brought them about will be widely
shared in the republic at large.