Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-15

otherwise would have been reached.
He pointed out that the three battle
ships which the United States would
scrap have total tonnage of $500
tons, while the five battleships Great
Britain would scrap have a total OF
1873 900 tons, almost twice the tonnage
of those scrapped by the United States.
The battleships scrapped by the United
States are armed with 12-inch guns,
CAPABLE of 81 to % knots and are 10
to 10 wears old. The British ships
which are 10 be scrapped ara armed
with 13la-inch guns, are capableof 20
to 80 knots and are Is years old.
"ThiS mysterious superstition that the
Rodney and the Nelson, the most re-
Gently built British battleShipS. give
Great Britain superiority is a myth, y
\ said Senator Reed. He said the only
element of superiority claimed for these
ships over the battleships OF the Colo
RADIO class of the United States Navy is
that they have 61A Inch steel deck pro-
lection over their magazines, while the
American ships have only 6=iIach pro-
lection.
I'VE have the right to increase the
thickness of our deck protection to
equal that of the British ships" said
Senator Reed. I'VE insisted on the
right to modernize Cyr battleShips If
we desired, which includes increasing
the elevation 0f the guns. The British
protest against such elevation was with
drawn"
Lauds BattIeship Agreement.
Senator Reed declared the London
treaty presented an admirable solution
OF the battleship problem. The fleets,
he said, would be as reasonably equal
in fighting power as they could be made.
Even So he pointed out, the Rooney
and the Nelson would have eighteen To-
inch guns, while the three American
ships In the Colorado class would have
q total of twenty-four 16-1nch guns. j..
'eThe battleship agreement" he said
"should be highly satisfactory to the
American people and also to the people
of the other nations, for it brings about
Immediately a cut in expenditures"
Senator Reed said that the American
delegate at London had thought 1t un-
wise to cut below the tonnage figures
for aircraft carriers established in the
Washington naval treaty. These figures,
he said, remained the same.
Taking up the cruiser question, Sena-
tor Reed said that when the American
delegation reached London the British
navy was iust four times stronger In
cruisers than the American Navy.
At do not think members of Congress
generally realize that we were In sucf
an inferior position in the matter o.
cruisers" said Senator Reed: L know
I didn't" He said the United State'
was reported to have great preponder
ance of destroyers with over 29O,OO'
tons. "But." Senator ReeA- said, "thes'
destroyers were built rapidly during tn'
war and were growing OLD. Int
Youngest, he said, was built and mn
ished in 1922. He said other nations
have been building destroyers In Tn
meantime and the United States Su.
periority in destroyers was only nominal
In submarines, he said, Japan has IL
Der cent in commission, as compared u
the total number of submarines II
commission in the American Navy. Thl
discrepancy, he said, would be increased
in favor of Japan under the BUILDING
programs in effect when the Londol
Conference began.
Reverting to the cruisers again, Sen
ator Reed said Great Britain had agreed
to scrap four out Of nineteen 8-1nch
gun cruisers built and building ant
then TO stand still for seven years. III
said that Japan had agreed to hn1sl
her quota of IL such cruisers, thel
to build no more for seven years.
I'VE are to be allowed to go on ant
complete the 8-inch-gun cruisers W
are building until we have 18 com
pleted when the treaty expires. In thi
class of ships we go from l to ID. Ye
this treaty Is called 'effrontery. by 1t
opponents"
Senator Reed said Great Britain an
Japan also would stand still and scra
some Of the smaller cruisers armore
with 6-inch guns, while the Unite
states is to 60 ahead and add to II
NAVY SO 900 tons of brand-new 6-ilc
gun cruisers. With considerable sa1
casn, the Pennsylvania Senator sal
this, too, was called effrontery by tn
opponents of the treaty. He pointe
out that the American Government ha
the right to build the 6-inch gun cruiser
as large and as fast as the 6-inch gu
cruisers, with a wide cruising radius an
q high speed.
gun cruiser as a naval weapon. L
pointed out that they could be fire
lust about twice as fast as the 8-inc
guns, and also that well directe
shot from a 6-inch gun would just
effectively destroy submarine or a a
stroyer as would shot from an 8-inc
gun.
Oddie Attacks Treaty.
Senator oddie of Nevada, a menlb
of the Naval Affairs Committee and
opponent Of the treaty, in an adore
Yesterday attacking the pact, called
tention to the preponderance OF me
chant ships of Great Britain, and a
serted that with these the British En-
pire had a great advantage over Il
United states under the treaty.
Oddie said the United States shou
have more 8-inch-gun cruisers to cor
bat what he termed the merchant lin
menace"
"The unprecedent division OF cruis
tonnage and the severe restriction
S-inch-gun cruisers" he added, sis !
equitable to the sUnited States"
The question of trade protection W
said by the Nevadan to go to t
heart Of the treaty" BY the pact,
argued, the United States is given
Navy mot properly balanced for ira
pTOtection."