Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-14
ADAMS SAYS PACT
IS ADVANTAGEOUS
Secretary Appears Before
Senate Committee on
Naval Affairs.
Continued From First Page,)


tial if a conditional amity with such
foreign powers to to be maintained, as
exhaustive information as 1t is possible
to get as to the effects of the London
treaty on the national defense Of the
country"
Senator Hale said that the naval af-
fairs committee has to handle all legis-
lation involving the authorization of
naval construction resulting from the
titled in attempting to secure the best
naval opinions on the purely naval
problems dealt with by the treaty. This,
he said, should in no way conflict with
the work of the committee on foreign
relations to which the treaty has prop
erly been referred.
Wants Full Information.
Involving as the treaty does certain
radical changes in the naval policy OF
the United States" continued Senator
Hale, II believe 1t Is most important
that the Senate should be fully informed
as to the reasons for making these
radical changes in naval policy.
II these reasons can be defended
and proof can be given that it is to the
advantage of the national defense of
the country to subscribe to all of the
terms of the treaty the Seante will I'M
doubtedly ratify the treaty as 1t stands.
IF 1t is demonstrated that the treaty
as whole is advantageous, but that
there are certain changes needed to
clarity or to reserve to our country
certain rights not protected by the
treaty, it is possible that 1t may be
found advisable to add reservations.
In any event, accurate and complete
knowledge of the effect of the treaty
and its provisions on the national de-
tense of the country cannot fail to be
Of advantage to the Senate In dealing
| with the problems of the treaty, and
| such adequate information I believe
this committee can help to obtain.
Publicity Can't Hurt.
eff the treaty as it now stands will
! hold water in every respect, there can
| be no possible objection to throwing
the full light of publicity upon it, If
| 1t will not hold water, it is in the high
est degree essential that its defects
should be known and understood.
Il believe that this committee will
approach the whole matter from a fair
standpoint think that very few mem
bers Of the Senate have as yet the
naval knowledge necessary to act in
some measure help to furnish that
knowledge to the Senate our time will
not have been wasted"
Secretary Adams, the first witness for
the naval affairs committee read a pre-
pared statement Of his views of the
treaty. He said that 1t was agreed to
unanimously by all Americas delegates
| to the London Conference. He said that
the treaty had the effect of terminating
naval competition; that 1t brought about
parity between the United States and
O,-fko AHaAk ~IrA fnS,
adjustment between the United States
and Japan in regard TO naval strength
and that 1t brought about reduction
In naval tonnage.
Must Plan Ahead.
The Secretary of the Navy ex-
pressed the opinion that it was not
well to build navy on suspicion or in
hurry. 1t was far better, he said,
to plan ahead for the Navy. He point
ed out that there was no real economy,
either, in building a Navy in competi-
, ton with others. He said that if an
| orderly plan can be carried out in the
matter of appropriations and con-
struction the Navy will be much better
off,
Secretary Adams said that he had no
doubt that the United States Navy
would be able to improve the 8-inch-
gun cruisers as it continues to build
them and also that under an orderly
program 1t will improve on the 6-inch-
gun cruisers. He said that there had
been q diversity Of opinion as to the
value to this country Of 8-inch-gun
cruisers and 6-inch-gun cruisers. He
said that entirely too much had been
said about this matter.
Secretary Adams told the committee
that the treaty provided parity between
the United States and Great Britain in
battleships aircraft carriers, deStroyers,
submarines, land certainly in cruisers"
War Time Ships Obsolete.
Much of the existing Navy Of the
United States, he said, had been built
during the World War. He said it was
| unfortunate that a great part of the
| feet tended to grow obsolete at the same
time. This, he said, was bad practice,
| compelling very large expenditures all
at one time and resulting in a poor fleet.
| The treaty, he said, lays down a sound
| general plan of building.
Taking up the settlement with Japan,
Secretary Adams said that Japan had
great superiority over the United
States in cruisers, and that while we
had superiority in destroyerS the Jap
anese submarine feet was substantially
| less old than ours. The situation was,
he said, that Japan's auxiliary naval
feet was more valuable than ours. In
effect, what the American delegation
did at London, he said, was to ask
Japan to stand still while the United
States should continue to build new
vessels and grow past them in cruiser
strength.
I'VE made q fair compromise with
Japan" said the Secretary of the
Navy.
Mr.. Adams referred to the fact that
Great Britain Is to scrap five battle
ships, the United States three battle
ships and Japan one under the term of
the new treaty.
He said that this would bring about
immediate battleship parity with Great
| Britain.
Senator Hale wanted to know II this
did not give Japan some advantage in
the capital ship category. Secretary
Adams replied that possibly It did, over
the old 5-5-3 ratio established at the
Washington conference, but he did not
appear to consider it Of grave import
ance.
Secretary Adams admitted that the
London treaty really did not reduce the
number OF battleships as contemplated
by the Washington treaty. He said
however, that the British had formerly
agreed in a letter to make no further
protest against the elevation of guns on
American ships to modern1zc those
ships, as they have done in the past.
Can See No Gain.
Senator Hale Immediately caught up
the Secretary Of the Navy, saying:
How Is that an advantage? We have
gone right ahead on elevating our guns
on four vessels anyway. I can see no
gain there"
The Secretary Of the Navy insisted
that the British have now formally
withdrawn all opposition to the eleva-
| ton of the guns on American battle