Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-08

lSontnlueo from FARSI Page,)
to meet the building of other power.
which we may, of course, expect then
TO continue in case there Is no treaty
This amount is, of course, indefinite
but will probably amount to at leasi
$500, 100000 over q period Of probablI
10 years. Hence it is perfectly reason.
able to assume that new construction
Will cost this Nation 81 ,000, 0O0, 900 more
without q treaty than it will If tn.
London treaty is ratified.
Approval of this treaty will aIst
mean that when we have finished tn.
construction provided for we will hav,
Tor the frst time in our naval i1istor,
a balanced fleet. assume, of course
tnat II this treaty is approved the Con.
greSS VIII authorize building program
provides.
Benefits Of Even Program.
The benefits of an even BUILDING
program extending over a number 81
years are very great. The NAVY is ahIf
to embody lessons learned in the new
construction as it progresses. The bene.
Mt OF an even flow of work at both the
navy yards and the commercial ship.
YARDS Is OF great benefit TO labor in In.
Surlng continuous work. This latter 1.
feature which must be given sreai
consideration in the future.
From a military and selfish stand.
point. the United States can not AFFORD
TO reject this treaty. From q higher
ana nobler purpose the treaty Should
nave our approval. It is promotive al
peace, conducive OF good will arnons
the nations involved, and I hope marks
the beginning of a more complete treaty
for the limitation of naval armament
For the United States to reject this
treaty would be for her to abandon her
moral leadership in the world and de-
clarlng at the same time that she is an
mperlaiiStic nation seeking CONQUEST
and expansion. It would create in the
rest OF the world an apprehension that
We had sinister purposes to serve when
we rejected the treaty, and would create
mistrust among all the nations OF
the world, and would result finally in
political combinations against us to our
detriment and menace. This situation
would tnJure Our foreign commerce and
retard our material development"
Senator Swanson took up in detail
the dominant issue over the Limitation
Of construction of cruisers and the
complaint of American naval officers
against the restriction upon S-inch gun
He noted that when the London Com
ference opened Great Britain was in
excess Of parity with the United States
on all kinds of cruisers by 81. while
Japan was In excess Of the 5--3 ratio
by as.
Construction Outlined.
"If this treaty is ratified" he con-
tnued, the United States can build
a.
Great Britain will have to scrap four of
the Hawkins class, and Japan will only
complete those now under construction.
The ratio of S-inch cruisers will then
be: United States, 10; Great Britain,
81, and Japan, 6. There certainly can
be no complaint AZ to this.
Il shall not detain the Senate by
quoting the conflicting views OF equally
able and expert naval offlcers. The
conclusion I have reached, after most
thoughtful consideration, is that the
best interests of the American Navy
require cruisers Of each class. The best
opinion seems to be. that the 6-inch
gun cruiser Is better for operation with
the fleet; that it has q decided adj
vantage over the 8-inch cruiser in pro-
tecting the feet from destroyers and
aircraft and submarines.
The 6-inch-gun cruiser will shoot
10 miles and the 8-inch-gun cruiser IA
miles. The 6-inch gun shoots a pro-
jectile of about 100 pounds and the g.
inch gun shoots one of about $50
pounds. Successful shooting at q dis
lance Of over to 10 miles is almost
entirely dependent upon the weather
conditions and visibility. With poor
visibility the 6-inch gun is the better.
With good weather conditions and clear
visibility the s-inch gun is the better
but, OF course, no one can foretell what
weather conditions will be.
Distance for Fighting.
Most naval engagements have been
at a distance Of less than 10 miles
the general disposition being for the
feet to close in. In the battle of Jut-
land, Germany. with smaller guns and
better protected ships, destroyed more
British ships than Great Britain de-
stroyed of hers. The 6-inch gun being
loaded by hand shoots more than twice
as fast as the S-inch gun. In close
conflict the 6-inch gun, with more
rapidity of firing, is more effective than
the 8-inch gun.
"The advantage Of the S-inch gun
is that when 1t makes a hit there is
greater penetration and more destruc-
ton, but in the case of penetration
both do the maximum possible DAM
age. The 6-inch gun ceases to be eff
fective over 10 miles, while the 8-inch
gun is effective to IA miles.
THE 6-inch-gun 10,000-ton cruiser
can carry IL guns while the 8-inch-
gun cruiser carries but 9. Considering
rapidity of firing, the 6-inch-gun cruiser
can deliver in the same time about an
equal weight of projectiles as the B.
inch-gun cruiser. Many thoughtful OH
GERS OF the Navy believe that prefer
ence will finally be reached for the
6-inch-gun cruiser over the 8-inch-gun
cruiser, especially since an entirely new
type of 6-inch-gun cruiser can be con-
structed under the London treaty.
Great Britain seems to prefer the
6-inch-gun cruiser over the 0-inch-gun
cruiser. Great Britain is compelled to
have more of the small units because OF
her scattered possessions, and hence has
been very insistent upon being allowed
a large number of 6-inch-gun cruisers
The London treaty gives to Great Brit
ain a superiority of 4S,700 tons in s.
inch-gun cruisers, and to the United
States superiority Of $4,000 tons In
8-inch-gun cruisers. 1t seems to me
that this Is Is reasonable as can be
L.. AZ 4