Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-03
MOFFETT ASKS PUBLIC TO AID
MOVE FOR PLANES ON CRUISERS
Machines Are Weapons and
ProiectiIes Combined, Ad-
miral Declares.
Says U. S. Has Not Used
Tonnage Allowed in
1922 Agreement.

An urgent appeal to the American
people to insist upon the building Of
sirplane carriers up to the limits Of the
naval treaty and for the construction of
landing decks on existing cruisers and
cruisers to be built under the terms Of
the treaty was made by Rear Admiral
William A. Moffett, chief of the Navy
Bureau Of Aeronautics, in q speech at
Bay City, Mich, during the past week.
THE potential power Of the carrier, !"
Admiral Moffett said, "is beyond esti-
nation or comprehension. The gun has
been the supreme and primary weapon
to launch projectile. Aviation Is a
weapon. gun and a projectile COM
bined. Not only this, but the projectile
Is q human one, an intelligent weapon
that can change its direction at viii.
Moreover, it Is not only q projectile but
torpedo, q mine, bomb, q scout and
radio base. And it has . range
roughly 10 times that Of q gun. It's
only limit Is its range, but, as I have
pointed out, by aircraft carriers we
overcome this Limit"
5000 Tons Allowed.
The Washington naval treaty Of 1922,
Admiral Moffett pointed out gave this
country the right to build $4,000 tons
of aircraft carriers, not q ton OF which.
he said, has been used. Only one 49,
800-ton carrier has been authorized by
Congress.
There is nothing more important in
national defense today" Admiral Moi
fatt declared, than the building UP to
the limit of the aircraft-carrier tonnage
allowed by the treaty-namely, four
more carriers Of the same tonnage. The
purpose of every combatant surface yes
sci is to carry into action the maxi
mum number of effective weapons. A
battieship carries from to IL guns OF
major caliber. The carriers limit Is the
number of airplanes it operates"
There is new provision In the Lon
don treaty, Admiral Moffett pointed
out. which permits the placing OF land
inr decks for. airplanes on as per cent
of the total cruiser tonnage. This
means, he said, that landing decks can
be placed on about e 900 tons Of cruiser
tonnage for the United States and
Great Britain and $4,000 tons Tor
Japan.
ing airplanes on our present cruisers
carrying from two to four airplanes."
Admiral Moffett explained. But the
use of catapults has one great disco,
vantage, the planes cannot be recovered
unless the weather is fairly smooth.
Would Increase Value.
'The placing of landing deck on a
cruiser will permit the recovery OF
plane, because they can take on from
the landing deck and return to 1t re-
gardless of the condition OF the sea
and without the cruiser having to stop.
The number of planes carried by each
cruiser can also be increased"
ITO prevent violation Of the treaty
terms, however, Admiral Moffett said,
care must be taken that the cruisers
shall not be turned into aircraft carriers,
but that they shall continue to be pri-
marily and essentially cruisers.
ct believe" he continued. that the
fitting of landing decks greatly increases
the value of 6-inch-gun cruisers, es-
pecially for commerce protection. It
can readily be seen that 6-inch-gun
cruiser with aircraft having a range of
200 miles would make an ideal vessel
for the protection Of commerce. Ger