Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-07
SPEECH SEEN AID
TO PARITY FLEET
President Encourages Advo-
bates of Huge Fund by Views
at Legion Session.
BIZ FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

: = President Hoover dropped hint in
B@ American Legion speech at Boston
; yesterday FROM which friends of naval
Preparedness are deriving lively en-
enlargement. They think 1t means
hat the Chief Executive strongly IA
) kors the constructor of the treaty
. Aavy''-i. O., the big fleet which the
Omitted States Is authorized to build
) Under the terms of the three-power
1oact Of London. "By the naval agree
snent," Mr.. Hoover told the Legion
haires, I'VE have silenced the high dan
GERS Of competitive naval building and
! have safeguarded our defense by parity
world. We have assured the mainte-
hance Of an efficient Navy as the first
nne Of defense. BY limiting our
strength we have given demonstration
10 the world that we seek no domina-
: sion. but only adequate defense"
EspousaI Of Parity Fleet.
Sdent has given that he believes the
United States ought to proceed to take
advantage of the parity rights achieved
= ut London. To Safeguard our defense
!. by parity with the greatest naval power
!, IN the world" (Great Brittany means,
naval authorities In Washington say,
only one thing. 1t means that Mr..
I1OOfGT cSpOtlScS IIlc Oh a
5 parity fleet. American defense" at
sea, under the parity he stresses, can
be had only in the form of actual ships
and guns, not in the shape of build
ing privilege of which no actual ad-
: vantage is taken.
Even with the Presidents powerful
support, advocates of treaty Navy"
are conscious that to get Congress to
vote the required funds Is going to be
: no easy task: Already it is known that
such a project will be fought tooth
: and nail by the organized powers of
pacifiSm. Their attitude is that, hav-
: ing induced the British to give America
: parity, we ought to be satisfied with
such victory and not attempt to put
L. French. Republican, of Idaho. chair
: man of the House subcommittee on
: naval appropriations, has identified
= himself with this view. When Mr.
: French returned from Europe in August
he reported "a very strong sentiment"
In both Great Britain and Japan
: against laying down all of the construc-
- ton allocated to them under the Lon
don treaty. He urged a similar policy
of moderation" on the part Of the
! United States. The Idaho representa-
tive, who carries considerable weight
on Capitol Hill in naval affairs, seemed
to base his views on the economies that
WOulQ result IrOIu ALu6IlCaS 1alluIG 10
build up to the limits of the London
treaty.
Change I'm Situation.
- Since the Senate ratified the three
power limitation pact the European
naval situation has undergone change
: for the worse, which is bound sooner
or later to react on American policy.
= Negotiations between France and Italy
to reach q parity agreement. or some
thing mutually satisfactory to take its
< place, have definitely broken down. If
the French now proceed, as seems
likely, to lay down fleet of cruisers,
destroyers and submarines approximate
: ing the total tonnage of 725 1000, which
they asked at London, the famous
'escalator" clause Of the three-power
treaty viii automatically come into
: effect. Under 1t Great Britain Is at
2 liberty to exceed the parity tonnage
total Of 100000 agreed upon with the
United States. II this country desires,
In President Hoover's language, to
Safeguard our defense by parity with
the greatest naval power" Uncle Sam
will have to build beyond the London
parity program, or let John Bull out
strip him, in order that the British
may not find themselves outnumbered
In Europe by French ships Of war.
Congress Is known to be Of many
moods and minds on the treaty Navy
proposition. With government economy