Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-14
PRESIDENT SAYS
PACT IS SUFFICIENT.
Denies Secret Agreement and
Says Senate Had Part
in Negotiations.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
President Hoover today stood sponsor
for the statement that the London
naval pact contains mot one scintilla
of agreement or obligation of any char
acter outside the treaty itself"
This assertion was regarded as hav-
ing been evoked by the insistence of
Senate opponents of ratification that
the administration give the foreign re-
lations committee confidential docu-
ments having to do with the negotia-
lions of the pact. Their request has
been refused.
In further reply to this group the
President said the Senate through two
of its members on the delegation has
had a practical participation In every
step of the making of the treaty"
Analysing the cruiser provision OF the
pact, Mr.. Hoover said the opposition 20
| tlicSe is based upon "a very small part
of the fleet"
Statement by President.
These assertions were contained in a
statement issued by the President late
yesterday. 1t was the second defense OF
the treaty to come from the admins
tration in "a hours. Secretary Stimson
on Thursday night delivered radio ad-
dress appealing for prompt ratification.
The Presidents statement follows:
"The real issue in the treaty is whether
we shall stop competitive naval building
with all the distinctions and dangers to
international good will, which continual
| ton on these causes implies; whether
we shall spend an enormous sum in
such a race to catch up with competl-
| tors, with no assurance that we Will
| reach parity and proportionate strength
even with such an expenditure; and
whether the present agreement gives
us substantial parity and proportion
ate strength and therefore, with our
| Army absolute defense of power, and
accomplishes this by an agreement
which makes for good will, for decrease
i in the naval armament of the world,
and puts our program of naval re-
newals and cruiser construction at
| cost far less than would otherwise
be required.
Revision Of Program.
1.-THE treaty reviseS the battleship
program of the Washington Arms Con-
| ference in such a fashion that we re-
duce the battleship tonnage of the
world by 230,230 tons, in which the
| Great Britain five battleships, Japan
one battleship, and in addition to this,
postpones the enormous construction
program of the Washington arms treaty
until after 1886 We obtain parity OF
our battleShip feet almost at once in
stead of 10 years hence. We accom-
plish it without building a single new
ship. The aircraft, destroyer and sub
marine programs of the treaty are fair
and meet with substantially no criti-
cism and represent decrease In de-
| stroyerS and submarines.
Against the great battleship saving
our cruiser program increases from
| 900, 900 tons to $4,000 tons. The point
| at issue in the cruiser program is
whether or not we should have 10000
| tons more of cruisers with 8-inch guns
advocated by the Navy board, or $4,000
| tons with 6-inch guns provided by this
| treaty. Upon the merits or dement's
| of these alternatives, as to this very
small part of the fleet, of about 1925
900 tons, our naval advisers are sharp
! ly divided.
Senate's Part in Treaty.
"The Senate, through two of its
members upon the delegation, have had
a practical participation in every step
in the making of the treaty. There
| is not one scintilla of agreement or
obligation of any character outside the
treaty itself"
The Senate foreign relations COM
mittee, which has the treaty under con-
! Sideration, was in recess today for the
week end Chairman Borah will call the
members together on Monday, and hopes
to obtain favorable report on the pact
within few days