Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-18
TREATY LOOPHOLE
FEARED IN SENATE
Swanson Urges Notes With
Great Britain to Assure
u. S. Position.

which this tonnage La now represented
he said.
Having already Is of the big cruiser,
by SPECIFIC provision Of the treaty, thai
would make a total Of 23 for England
The United States, meanwhile, viii
be proceeding In the closing three years
of the treaty with the laying down OF
the last three Of the 10 big cruisers
which 1t is allowed to have on January
], 1888.
The treaty stipulates that the United
States shall not complete more thar
10 of these cruisers before December 81
1895, the expiry date. The opinion Of
the general board of the Navy Is that
the S-tneh gun cruiser Is the type best
suited to American needs.
BY the same Interpretation that
would allow Great Britain to use heI
available tonnage In a-inchers, the
United States could build one add
tional a-inch-gun cruiser Of 10000 tons
In such an event. the United States
In 1889, would have 10 big cruisers tc
Bxitain's 2S. With the treaty expiring
with the year 1885, the powers would
be unrestricted after that date. But II
Ia the fact that IL takes about three
years to build cruiser that makes the
point important in the eyes OF naval
men at this time. For, as they say, the
right to lay down cruisers as early as
the year 1884 would enable Great
Britain to have several of them well
along toward completion by the end OF
1885, or even before the next confer
eEce in 1888.
After a week of intensive public hear
fngs on the treaty by both the foreign
relations and naval affairs committees
Of the Senate. there was no public &C.
tivtty today with respect TO the treaty
The hearings will be resumed on Mon
day with Admiral Jones resuming his
testimony before the naval affairs conf
Inittee and Rear Admiral Mark L
Bristol, chairman of the general board
OF the Navy, continuing his testimony
before the foreign relations committee
Admirals Deny Parity.
Both these admirals have testified
that the treaty does not assure Anglo
American parity, which Is in conflict
with the testimony of Admiral William
v. Pratt, the commander of the United
States fleet; Henry L. Stimson, Secre-
tary of State, and Charles Francis
Adams, Secretary of the Navy. who
testified before both committees during
the week
Admirals Pratt and Jones were the
ton at London. Over the objection OF
the general board the former aban-
doned the boards stand for the con-
struction of 0-inchers to the exclusion
Of 6-inchers, and indoSsed the plan in
the treaty by which the United States
Is allowed what he calls q $3.50
division of its cruiser strength between
the two types.
The two Senators who were In the
delegation at London and are also mem
bers of the foreign relations committee,
David A. Reed, Republican of Penn
syivania. and Joseph T. Robinson of
Arkansas are primed to attack the gen.
eral board position, both In the con-
tinuation of the hearings on Monday
and later on the Senate floor, L neces-
sary.
In Fridays hearings, they created no
little stir by confronting Admirals Bris-
tol and Jones with excerpts of secret
memorandum OF the general board,
dated last September, wherein the
board recommended acceptance of 81
8-inch and S additional 6.inch gun
cruisers as reasonable assurance Of
parity with Great Britain.
While neither Of these admirals was
in the general board at that time, each
had Endorsed the stand.
Thetr answer 10 that it was only as
al extreme concession to be made at
the last minute" to avoid q conference
failure that they reluctantly consented
70 take 6-incherS after the stand the
since 1928. =
Senator Robinson was quoted yestsr-
day as having said that he will not
spare the general board II the question
arises in the Senate debate over ratifi-
cation.
Senator Robinson, the Democratic
Senate leader, has with Senator Reed,
his colleague in the delegation, taken
the leadership IN the move for ratiflca-
ton. It would scarcely be correct to
call 1t a struggle" for, while some
belligerency has come out in the hear
tngs of the last week. there ere few OBJ
servers who doubt that the treaty will
finally be ratified.
Administration Against Reservations
The administration il averse to res
ervattons and is hopeful of avoiding
any. Senator Robinson disputes the
contention of the general board adj
mtrals that the treaty language, IN
article 10, is ambiguous enough to war
rant replacement Of 6-inch cruisers
with 8-inch ships. Both Secretary
Adams and Admiral Pratt, while on the
side opposite Admiral Jones and the
general board, have admitted that there
Is merit In the point, and Secretary
Adams Is authority for the statement
that the question has been discussed
in administration quarters.
Senator Swanson intimated last night
that his proposal for an exchange of
diplomatic notes to clarity the matter
Is receiving favorable consideration.
Meantime, Representative Fred A.
Britten, Republican, Of Illinois, declared
that he was preparing to ask the House
committee on naval affairs, of which he
Is chairman, to adopt resolution CALI
ing for a reservation amending the
safeguarding clause 50 that the United
States could build whatever kind of
ships 1t chose in case Britain should
decide to build more ships than the
treaty provides in order TO maintain
her superiority over the French and
italian navies.
Senator Frederick Hale, Republican,
of Maine. chairman Of the naval Affairs
committee of the Senate, indicated that
he was disposed to support such q move,
which would suggest that proposals for
q reservation or reservations be made
In the Senate.
Senator Borah, chairman Of the for
eign relations committee, has no doubt
that the treaty will be ratified, and he
thinks 1t will be before adjournment of
the present session.
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