Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-23
NAVY BOARD PLANS
FOR FLEET BUILDING
Construction Program Under
Treaty Will Cost Nearly
Billion.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A revised naval construction program
necessitated by the London treaty is
| to be ready for presentation to Con-
gress In December.
The experts of the Navy General
Board are working out the problems
involved and have estimated that Ii
the American feet Is built to the maxi
mum permitted by the London pact an
expenditure of nearly billion dollars
must be made.
President Hoover affixed his signature
to the American instrument of ratifica-
ton late yesterday in brief ceremony
attended by several of those who were
delegates to the London Conference
and by leaders Of the Senate.
Six-ineh Cruiser for IS Planes.
Later Secretary Adams said the
general board was at work on the new
construction program. It has asked for
plans for an unusual vessel, q siX-inch
gun cruiser capable Of carrying IS air.
planes.
This ship. the board, decided. could
be constructed and charged against the
six-inch gun cruiser category, since the
treaty defines an aircraft carrier as a
ship built for the specific and ex-
elusive purpose" OF carrying airplanes.
AS a result there is possibility the
board will recommend a delay in the
construction OF 6-inch-gun ships to al
low time for experimentation with the
new hybrid craft.
In line with previous rulings that the
United States should have q minimum
of twenty-one 8-inch cruisers, the board
doubtless will recommend that existing
appropriations or authorizations for q
total of Is such vessels, the maximum
| k,xy ira
force. Thirteen cruisers of this type
have been completed or are under con-
struction, while work on two others was
delayed pending the treaty negotiations
Democrats Comment.
In the first statement that has been
issued by the Democratic National
Committee regarding the London Naval
Treaty, Jouett ShouSe said last night
that while the fate of the treaty at all
times was in the hands Of the Demo-
Gratis" they had refused to make party
matter of foreign relations.
The text of the statement by the
chairman of the Democratic National
Executive Committee follows In part: :,
I'VE have had, and doubtless VIII
have. more statements claiming the ratl-
fication of the disarmament conference
treaty as q great achievement OF the
Republican party. Recently there was
issued by the Republican National Com
mittee Press Bureau q release TO which
was attached the name OF Representa-
tive Temple of Pennsylvania, chairman
of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
mailing this treaty as the leading &C
complishment of the Hoover admins
tration, with the plain purpose OF en-
ploying this triumph as ammunition in
the coming congressional campaign.
1.-THE ratification of the treaty dur
ing the special session just closed was
due principally to Senator Robinson OF
Arkansas, the minority leader In the
Senate, whose defense OF the. London
covenant In the negotiation of which
he participated, was not only the best
argument in favor of the treaty, but one
that produced the most definite effect.
During the whole treaty fight there
has not issued from the Democratic
National Executive Committee one word
of opposition or one statement that
might have tended to destroy the work
Of the London Conference.
ut Is q fayorite contention OF the
administration spokesman in their ef-
forts to deprecate the charges of adj
ministration inefficiency to accuse the
Democrats of being actuated merely by
desire to embarrass the President
and to cause delay. This was notably
so during the long period when the
tariff was under consideration. 1t
might be pertinent when these charges
are repeated, as they will be when the
Congressmen fighting for reelection
are trying to defend the administra-
ton and to show that Its barrenness
of helpful legislation was due to DEM
ocratic obstructionists, to recall the MS
tory of the treaty just ratified