Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-14
Sti1nson Sees Achievement
Goal of Disarmament to Be Reached by Steps,
Declares Head of United States Delegation
to London.

| limitation held by Great Britain and
Japan that they made no such effort.
Our principal objective when we
came here was to extend the principle
OF Limitation by agreement. so that 1t
should cover all the elements Of the
feet and thus complete what had been
left undone at Washington. at the
League and at Geneva. So far as the
fleets Of Great Britain, Japan and the
| United States are concerned, that pur-
pose has been achieved. There can
now be no competition between Us. The
relation Of the deets is fixed.
Furthermore, the habit Of mutual
agreement has received one more sue
ceSsful precedent. The principle Of
limitation Is strengthened by its sue
cessful practice. At the first meeting
Of the conference, in January, made
this statement, Naval limitation is q
continuous process. We regard dis
armament as a goal to be reached BY
successive steps, by frequent revision
and improvement.
Affairs Believed Improving.
Human affairs are not static, but are
moving, and, we believe, improving.
-" For that reason we feel that
the sound and obvious course is to reach
such agreements as may be possible now,
with the knowledge that they are open
to revision at appropriate periods. BY
our present agreement the favorable at
tttude Of the world is made stronger
than ever. The benefit of this momen-
tum will not be limited to the three
powers who have actually reached q
basis Of mutual agreement, but will ex-
tend also to the efforts Of our friends
the French and the Italians, to achieve
that goal in the future. Limitation, &c
be effective, must be made willingly and
| with confidence. We have every hope
that France and Italy will eventually
join In q Limitation Of their fleets SINH.
lar TO that which we have attained, but
that Is result which, to be effective
must come only when each country
follow.
las have thus pointed out, the
main purpose for which this conference
| was called was to stop the dangers Of
competition in ornaments and to estab.
ltSh the mutual confidence and good.
VIII which come with agreement. It /,
this purpose which connects the con.
ference with the great movement fol
world peace. Reduction in expenditures
important as 1t is to reach each indi.
Vldual nation, is merely q by-product o.
the other and primary purpose. More.
over, reduction Is a benefit which vii
be increasingly realized as the nation,
OF the world progress in the security
obtained by agreement. It is only a;
mutual confidence develops with In.
creaSing experience that nations reduce
more and more drastically their mill.
tary protection. Thus experience under
the washington treaty in regard tx
DattleShlps has been such that the ma.
tons are eager to reduce the battleshir
meets more rapidly than was thought
| possible In 1929.
Reductions and Economies.
Nevertheless, it is proper for me &c
point out the great reductions and
accomplish.
THE first great economy which We
snail achieve is not a reduction but 8
holiday or poStponement Of conStruc.
zion OF ships. Under the schedules OF
the washington treaty the United States
was TO lay down 10 new battleShips and
to complete 5 Of them during the next
six years. Under our present arrange
ment none OF these vessels will be laid
down. This means that approximately
$500, 100000 which would otherwise
have been spent during the next six
years viii not be spent. Furthermore
this holiday will, we believe, pave the
way FOR further economies in battleship
construction. There is strong move
ment under way for a reduction either
in the number or the size of our exist
Ing battleships. But there is a differ
ence OF opinion among the nations con-
cerned as to which of these methods
will furnish the best avenue for such
reduction. This holiday gives an op-
portunity to settle this questions and to
decide upon the method for this further
economy.
I'm estimating the actual reduction
which will result from the present con-
ference you have doubtless read many
varying sets Of figures. These differ
enceS have occurred because of the diff
ferent methods employed by the writer's
Some have counted average ships which
happen still to be in commission, while
others did not. Some others have
counted ships authorized though not yet
built, while others have not. And there
have been many other variations. ]
will, however, give you two compari-
sons on battleshipS, cruisers, destroyers
and submarines which ] think will
present the fairest figure Of the reduc-
tons we have accomplished.
Comparison Of Limitations.
"The first Is to compare the Iimita.
tons which we have fixed with the low.
est limitations which were entertained
at the unsuccessful conference In &C.
neva in 1927. In 1927 the lowest ton
mage figures which Great Britain woulc
discuss for cruisers, destroyers and sub
marines, taken together, were 0,00C
tons. In addition to this, she insisted
upon retaining until 1896 IS per
cent Of average tonnage. AS against
this, her tonnage In these types Of ships