Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-13
STIMSON EXPLAINS NEW CRUISERS
WILL NOT ABOLISH BATTLEST1IPS

GnaJ IL was not the unanimous view OF
the American naval experts that this
country needed 8-inch gun cruisers and
did not need 6-inch gun cruisers.
Made Exhaustive Study.
"Our delegation made an exhaustive
study of this cruiser problem said
Secretary Stimson, land we reached the
conclusion that 1t would not be wise
for America to put all her eggs in one
basket. The s-inch cruiser has never
been tested In battle. There are diff
ferent naval problems which can better
oe handled by cruisers armed with
6-inch guns and other problems which
can better be handled with S-inch-gun
cruisers We felt that in agreeing to
practically equal tonnage totals for
S-inch-gun cruisers and 6-inch-gun
cruisers we had reached the safety So
luton"
Mr.. Stimson told the committee that
under the treaty the United states had
not only obtained parity. with Great
Britain, but that 1t had obtained some
superiority In the 10,0O0-ton eigtt-inch
gun cruiser. In the 6-inch-sun cruisers
the present ratio with Great Britain, he
said, was 10 to as. BY the treaty this
ratio was changed to 10 to 10, which
marked great improvement for the
American Navy.
Mr.. Stinson, in taking up the point
that the United States because Of scar
city of naval bases, requires cruisers
with wider sailing radius, pointed out
that America Is free to build 10,000-ton
cruisers armed with 6-if1ch guns If 1t
chooses to do so. He said that the
American delegation had insisted upon
this right for the American Navy.
In Favorable Position.
Under the treaty, Mr.. Stimson said,
the relative gun power of the United
States and Great Britain showed the
United States in q favorable position.
America, he said, would have 1874 g.
inch guns, while Great Britain would
have 116 S-inch guns.
This Ii . pretty heavy percentage
Of big gun power" said Mr.. Stimson.
He added that the American ratio In
6-i1ch guns comes very much nearer
the British ratio than the British ratio
in s-inch guns approaches the Ameri-
can.
"The American delegation" declared
Mr.. Stiff1son, "felt no doubt that it
had obtained parity In naval strength
option, however. to parallel the British
fleet, If 1t wished to do so. And that
is no idle matter. I feel strongly that
the 0-inch gun cruiser Is very much
over-rated ship. We may yet find our
selves irnpelled to build other types"
Discusses Japan.
Taking up the relation between the
f1avies Of the United States ana Japan,
Mr.. 6tinson pointed out that In the
Washington treaty the battleship ratio
also In the aircraft carriers the ratio
WAS the same
But Japan never agreed that this
10-6 ratio should be extended to aux
Hilary craft" said MIR. Stinson. I'm
1927, at the Geneva conference, the
Japanese government asked for IS per
cent ratio of surface craft and equality
in submarines. The British put for
ward q proposal which substantially
agreed to that of Japan, and this pro-
posal was not rejected by our delegates
at the Geneva conference. In 1927 Ja-
pan put forward very nearly demand
FOR 1877 ratio for all three classes Of
auxiliary ships.
"At the time the London Conference
began, we had two S-inch gun
cruisers in the water; one such
cruiser nearly ready to launch, and
FIVE more on which some work had
eight 8-inch gun cruisers in the water
and four others more nearly completed
than any Of ours.
Japan had also $4,000 tons OF g.
inch-gun cruisers and we had only TO-
900 TONS"
Holiday VIII Save.
Secretary Stimson said that there
would be q big saving to this country IN
the battleship holiday. He said that
without this holiday the United states
would lay down 10 new battleships, S
of which would be completed by 1885.
These battleships,. he said, would
total $4,000 tons and cost $500 900 600.
In regard to the cruiser strength OF
the United States, the treaty calls Tor
A decrease of $4,000 tons Of 6-inch
S,,n cr,,isers from the present program
and an increase of $4,000 tons of g.
inch gun cruisers, or q net increase IN
cruiser tonnage of $4,000 tons.
The United States, he said, has $780,
600 tons of destroyerS. Under the treaty,
it will have 10000 tons of destroyers, o
reduction Of 100000 tons.
Below Hughes Proposal.
The United States has S5, 900 tons of
submarines. Under the treaty 1t will
have 52,700 tons, q reduction Of more
than $4,000 tons.
Comparing the London treaty with
the proposal made by the then Secretary
of State Hughes, at the Washington
Naval Conference, for auxiliary naval
craft, Mr.. Stimson said that the Lon
don treaty goes below the Hughes pro-
posal by $4,000 tons.
Comparing the London treaty with
the best British offer In 1927, the
London treaty shows q reduction OF
Eli 900 tons for the auxiliary feet OF
the United States For all three ravies
Il shows a reduction Of So, 900 tons in
auxiliary craft below the~proposal at
AS the three fleets stand today. Mr..
Stimson said, including ships built.
building, appropriated for and authorized
the IoTidor1 treaty chose q reduction
for the United states Of l75.ooo tons
and . reduction of $4,000 tons in the
combined fleets Of the United states,
Great Britain and Japan.
Melville G. Baker Dies.