Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-01

that the whole system of fixed ratios
was being abandoned by the other four
powers, they were taken aback. In vain
they tried to win first American, then
British and then Japanese support for
their maximum tonnage and ratio pro-
posal.
Verginio Gayda, Italys leading official
journalist, here, cabled the Giornale
DItalia yesterday that the Italo-Amer-
lean British entente which Italy had
triumphantly announced now appears
TO be In the course Of dissolution. !"
We will not speak of ISOLATION" he
said, but Italy stands out in q posi-
ton which Is increasingly individual"
II Is felt however, that Italy's OBJ
1ections to treaty drafted on q five
year replacement program are due to q
failure to grasp the full import of the
plan. True, 1t does not give italy
its cherished parity with France, but
neither does 1t deny this parity. It
simply does away with such questions
as parity altogether, admits the right
OF every country to have the kind of
navy 1t thinks 1t needs and gets down
10 ships over brief and foreseeable
period Of years. The persuasions of
1taly's British and American friends
VIII. II Is felt, ultimately be convincing.
early to make definite forecasts. Re-
garding battleShips the United States
seems willing to delay all requirements
until 1885, and even to scrap immedi-
ately three old battleships If Great
Britain will do the same.
Regarding S-inch-gun cruisers the
united States seems to feel that the
most hitting solution would be Is Ameri-
can, 10 British. IL japanese, French
and Italian, but this involves scrap
ping the four Hawkins-type British
cruisers, reduction OF the French de-
mand from IL to and the willingness
OF Italy to have only six.
The question Of 6-inch-gun cruisers
and destroyers is immensely compIi-
Gated owing to the calculation OF re-
placement and other technical con-
siderationS, but t seems probable even
at best that We snail be obliged to build
some $4,000 tons of the new type OF
6-fnch-gun cruisers IL We are to keep
the proper equilibrium with Great Brit
ain and Japan.
The question Of submarines is being
momentarily reserved We apparently
favor their abolition, but fear that this
y impractical and would be satisfied II
the larger type could be limited in
some way. 1t is Just possible that in
the end some form of political pact
may be found the best method of solv-
ing the submarine problem. We hope
that we shall not be obliged to con-
| slider such a pact, but are willing to
study one If 1t seems really useful and
constructive.
The only real criticism against the
present trend OF this conference Is that
1t promises to result in a considerable
amount Of building. To this 1t is an
swered:
/. There may be some actual scrap
ping Of big ships.
2. BY delaying certain replacements
immense sums will be saved.
3. The proposed agreement, even II
1t only limits without reducing arma-
ments, at least does away with dan
gerOus competition
| 4. There will probably be less build
| ing under the agreement than there
would have been otherwise.
5. The success of this, conference
will not only open the wayyfcr a gen.
eral disarmament conference. but vii
presumably. lead In 1885 TO further
actual naval reductions.