Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-12
i. s. DREADNAUGHT
STORY |RKS BRITAIN
England Is Stirred Up Over
Suggestion" for Parity
in BattIeships.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE,
staff Correspondent OF The Star.


BY Radio to the Star.
LONDON, February 12.-American
diplomacy in London, which thought
it had only two-power task on its
hands, suddenly finds itself confronted
with third situation of major import
ance. Besides cajoling France into a
conciliatory mood regarding parity with
Italy, and making Japan see the error
of her TO ratio ways, Henry l.. Slim
son, head of the American delegation
to the Arms Conference, now has a
British mess to straighten out
It has been stirred up by the start
ing American suggestion" of a bat
tleship to match Britain's possession OF
the Rodney and the Nelson. Mess is
the proper term to use in this connec-
ton, rather than problem, for it is
now practically certain that the "Sug-
gestion" never will emerge in the form
of a proposal. The whole business al
ready Is almost as dead as a doornail
but it's demise will leave disagreeable
memories.
British Opposition Is Frank.
British opposition to the scheme is
frank, vigorous and determined. If
what one hears In responsible quarters
Is a reflection of real sentiments, the
British are inclined to look upon the
battleship incident as confirming sus-
picionS of their big navy school. That
school has always mistrusted the mo-
tiveS of America in building a power
full fleet and then demanding that Brit
ain shall never have a more powerful
one.
What present-hour detractors of the
United States in London are saying is
that Uncle Sam presents strange con-
tradiction Of the leading fight for "dras-
tic reduction" of naval ornaments,
while concealing 100000 battle
ship Of the newest and mightiest design
up his sleeve.
The aspect of the episode seems to
rankle because If the American scheme
is carried out. 1t would give the United
states fleet 80 16-inch guns against
Britain's 10.
Senator Borah's attack on the bat
tleship suggestion aroused LondonS
attention today. AS the Senate foreign
relations committee more or less holds
the fate of any London treaty in its
hands, the prediction can be risked
that the views of its potent chairman
Will not be ignored by the American
delegation.
Circumstances which have developed
may have demonstrated that the bat
tleShip idea was an unhappy one, but
1t lllumlnates the American delegations
zeal to gain expeditiously establishment
OF indlsputable equality at sea with
Britain.
Although the conference IS tenn
porar1ly under spell, the American
battleship affair is its only tempest in
the teapot. 1t will not impede slow
but steady progress toward the sue
cessful outcome, but Americans should
steel themselves against expecting a
sensational success.
America shall meet parity with Brit
am: The United States shall arrange
with Japan some kind Of ratio wholly
satisfactory from the Standpoint Of
Far Eastern defensive necessities, and
shall achieve that part of the United
states submarine program looking to
humanlzatlon OF U-boat warfare.
Advance Made Daily.
Undoubted advance is being recorded
every day. Premier Macdonald saws
mat the present period of snail-like
progress may be succeeded any day by
developments of lightning-like char
acter, because preparatory work has
taken so long and has been so thor
oughly done.
Today's news that the United States
Lines contemplated building a couple of
superb remens for the American
merchant marine feet has electrified
the Yankee delegation. Nothing so far
has been said about it. but merchant
marine considerations are always in the
minds OF our spokesman here. They
DO not forget that with every warship
Britain loses by limitation or reduce
ton, her overwhelmingly stronger
merchant feet becomes a correspond
ingly more potent factor in sea power.
If by treaty all navies were wiped out,
the British would still have their
squadrons Of Berengarias, Majestics,
Olympics, Maurentanias and Homerics.
Automatically Britannia would rule the
waves through the feet Of merchant
men.
(Copyright 1900