Evening star., 1932-08-17
Last Two BattIeShips of
Fleet Included in 10000
Tons Slated to Go.
SCRAPPING IS POSTPONED
TO AID ARMS BARGAINING
All Sea Forces Will Be Reorganized
Into Two Squadrons Coin
cident With Savings Step.
By the Associated Press.

100000 tons of Italy's fighting ships will
be retired beginning August 25 as a re-
suit OF an economy move any a sweep
ing reorganization of the Italian fleet.
These will include two battleships,
three heavy cruisers, nine light cruis-
ers, twenty-five destroyers and a dozen
submarines. all reasonably old but still
within the age limit.
The ships will be stripped of their
crews, but not Immediately scrapped.
In this condition they will continue to
serve as a bartering point when the
World Disarmament Conference re-
sumes its discussions at Geneva this
Fall. Caretakers will be left aboard the
ships to keep them from deteriorating.
Two Built in 1915.
The battleships are the Andrea Doria,
22,700 tons, and her sister ship. the
Duilio. These were rushed to compile
ton in 1915 when Italy entered the
World War.
The heavy cruisers include the San
Marco, San Giorgio and the Pisa, ave-
raging 10000 tons. They are more than
20 years old.
Among the light cruisers are four old
German cruisers and one which for
merly was in the Austrian navy.
The navy department believes an ex-
tensive retiring program will save mil
lions of dollars monthly. The crews Of
retired vessels will be transferred to
new. cruisers gradually entering the
service.
simultaneously with the retirement
schedule comes reorganization of the
feet. This involves creation of two
squadrons. The first will consist of
seven 10,000-ton cruisers, none more
than three years old, with headquarters
at Spezia. The second squadron is of
six 5,000-ton cruisers, more than two
years old, some o. which hold world
speed records. Its headquarters will
be at Taranto.
Two Commanders Named.
Admiral Ernesto Burzagli will COM
mand the first division of the first
squadron and Admiral Domenico Cav
agnari the second division. The ad-
mtral of the second squadron has not
yet been named. In addition to these
there will be an Adriatic squadron of
destroyers.
Retirement sounds the death knen Of
the battleship so far as Italy is con-
cerned. Although the Navy is far be-
low the total Of no. 900 tons in battle
ships granted by the Washington treaty,
Italy disregarded the right to build this
type, turning attention instead to heavy
and light cruisers. The Duilio and the
Andrea Doria arc the last battleships of
the feet.
The entire Italian Navy recently
completed the most extensive maneuvers
held since the end of the World War.
They were designed to test the practi-
cability Of bringing transports from the
Mediterranean colonies through an
enemy line.
1t was demonstrated that this could
be done, but only at great cost. The
enemy" fleet sank number of hypo-
thetlcal transports and supply vessels
along with several of the naval convoy
ships.
This drill came shortly after the ad-
Journment of the World Disarmament
Conference, at which the Italian dele
cation submitted a sweeping program
for limiting land and sea arms.
Hit Pocket Battleship."
The plan struck at the German
pocket battleship," the 22,OOO-ton
French cruiser and the battle fleets Of
Great Britain and the United States.
1t would bring all the navies of the
world down to 1taly'S own standard Of
10,000-ton cruisers.
The memorandum presented to the
conference did not mention ratios be-
tween countries, or parity with France,
but 1t reaffirmed the four points which
Italy laid down at Geneva last Febru-
ary. These related to land and sea
ornaments and provided for abolition of
heavy artillery and tanks, battleships,
submarines, airplane carriers, bombing
aircraft and chemical and bacteriologi-
cal warfare. The memorandum also
demanded government control of civil
aviation.
The italian representatives suggested
publication of the number of naval
units to be abolished, and then either
destruction of those units or dis
mantling to render them unfit for
combat.
The program would permit heavy
coast defenses, defining heavy guns as
anything more than inches.
Urged War Laws Changed.
The memorandum recommended that
disarmament be accompanied by re-
VISION OF the laws governing warfare and
by adequate measures for control of
civil aviation, this control to be exer-
ciSed through a maximum of publicity
and by the establishment of definite
ratios between the nations agreeing to
the program.
This memorandum was tabled by the
general conference for consideration by
separate committees of experts.
Subsequently, when President Hoover
presented his proposal for a general
reduction Of about one-third in the
worlds arms. Italy was among the first
to express approval.