Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-12
ST|MSON DEFENDS
PARITY OF TREATY
Equal Naval Strength Be-
tween U. S. and Britain Held
Fair and Practical.
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the American delegation had been con-
Quoted with a full conference Of the
entire delegation, and with the advice
Of the American naval experts. He
highly praised Senator Reed of Penn
sylvania, a member of the delegation,
for the work he had done in a minute
investigation Of the naval problem.
u. S. Group Agreed Always.
ION every major question" continued
Mr.. Stimson, there was unanimous
agreement by the American delegation.
There was no important question de-
cided in any other way. The Ameri-
can delegation knew its own mind and
knew it unanimously. This had great
effect on the entire course of the con-
ference"
Secretary Stimson said that there
had been certain differences Of opinion
among the naval experts on minor mat
ters, but that every one had been given
full hearing with the result that de-
cisions were unanimous.
The Secretary of State pointed out to
the foreign relations committee the
difficulties which exist for any inter-
national conference for disarmament.
In the Washington conference in
States had a tremendous advantage in
its battleship feet to offer on the altar
of disarmament. He pointed out that
the Washington conference had sue
coed only in reaching an agreement on
battleships and aircraft carriers. Efforts
to agree on cruisers, submarines and
destroyers had failed. The three power
conference in Geneva in 1927 and six
meetings Of the preparatory conference
of the League of Nations, have failed
in recent years to reach any agreement
on disarmament.
Praises Latin-A American Pact.
Secretary Stmson said, however, that
he thought all these conferences were
not without accomplishment, since the
fact that they had been held indicated
an increasing demand by the peoples
of the world that something be done.
He praised an agreement reached in
1902 between Chile and Argentina for
naval limitation.
Secretary Stimson stressed the i'm
portance of limitation agreements,
which, he said were actually more i'm
portant than naval reduction because
Of their beneficial effect on interna-
tional peace, terminating naval rivalry
and producing greater confidence.
The Secretary of State told the COM
mittee that the three-power conference
in Geneva in 1927 had broken down
largely because Great Britain then In
Sisted on q minimum Of 10 cruisers,
with total Of 100000 tons. Under the
London treaty, he said, these demands
had been reduced to so cruisers of
339 900 tons, a marked reduction. He
said that the British were not build
ing q navy against the United States;
that the figures which they demanded
were to cover the necessities OF the
empire.
retary Stimson said, had written to the
London Times during the Naval Con-
ference, declaring that the British gov
eminent was jeopardizing the empire
in Offering to reduce the number OF
cruisers to so.
Quotes Lord CarsOn's Criticism.
Lord Carson, he said, does not be-
lieve that the treaty provides for the
building of the kind of ships that Eng
land wants, but rather for the kind OF
ships that America wants. This criti-
cisn1, Mr., StinSon said. sounded much
like criticism made by certain Amer
leans of the treaty who held that the
treaty forced the United States to build
the kind of ships Britain wants.
I'VE reached a fair agreement" said
Mr., Stimson. Neither party over
traded the other. We were trying TO
reach fair agreement"
Secretary Stinson then discussed in
some detail the five parts of the treaty
The third part provides the naval agree
ment between America, Great Britain
and Japan. The other four parts in
volve all five of the naval powers, in
GLIDING France and Italy. Part one
relates to the battleship holiday and
provides for the scrapping of battleships
and for the Unemployment of others.
Part four, MIR. Stinson said related to
the use of submarines against mer-
chant vessels In time of war. He said
that this section of the treaty contains
certain improvements over the provisions
made at the Washington conference for
the control of submarine warfare. The
provision made at the Washington con-
ference was never ratified. The pro-
vision made at London relating to sub
marines, Mr.. Stimson said, would be
ratified.
Hopes for Future.
In part five which provides for the
treaty becoming effective, there is con-
tanned an important provision providing
for another conference in 1885, at which
all five powers will be present.
Disarmament cannot be accom-
plished by a single act" said Mr.. Slim
son. 1t must come step by step as the
powers grow more confident. 1t is our
hope that the cause of disarmament
will receive added momentum from the
London treaty and that the conference
in 1885 will bring further steps looking
to disarmament. We went long step
forward at this London Conference in
the agreement for a battleship holiday
and for scrapping battleships."
Secretary Stimson said he believes 1t
would be unwise for him to say any,
thing about the failure of the three
European powers to reach an agreement
except to say that the American dele
CATION had rendered no more valuable
service than when it prevented the con-
ference from breaking up in bad at
moSphere and without any agreement
involving all five powers. He said that
at one time there had been grave dam
ger that two of the powers would with
draw from the conference. II that
,, happened, he said. Great Britain might
have been unwilling to go into the three
power pact with the United States and
Japan.
Secretary Stimson pointed out that
under the new treaty battleship parity
between Great Britain and abe United
States YprOvided for in the Waghtn0fnya