The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-22
BY JOSEPH III. BAIRD
United Press STAFF Correspondent


United Press STAFF Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June %. A
sweeping proposal to reduce the
worlds arms by one-third and lift
burden of from ten to fifteen bill
lion dollars from the shoulders of
the common man during the next
ten years was advanced today by
President Herbert Hoover.
A year and two days after his
momentous moratorium proposal,
the President again has presented
an unexpected and concise plan for
dealing with one of the world S
greatest barriers to peace-arma-
mentS.
Every kind of fighting weapon
would be reduced or banned under
the proposal. Mr.. Hoover suggeStex
that not only land ornaments
should be cut, but that there should
be one-third reduction in naval
strength under existing treaty levels.
"Cut Through Brush"
The Presidents plan was outlined
today by Mr.. Hoover before a small
group of newspaper men. He read
his proposal, emphasizing the fact
that it touched all branches of
armament. At his side sat Secre-
tary of State Henry L. Stimson, who
aided him in drafting the plan.
Attempting to put new life in the
tagging Geneva disarmament con-
ference, the President declared that
the time is come when we should
cut through the brush and adopt
some broad and definite method of
reducing the overwhelming burden
of armament"
This" Mr.. Hoover said, would
be the most important world step
that could be taken to expediate
economic recovery"
The proposal, on high official
authority, is linked in no way with
the problem of war debts. 1t was
stated authoritatively that the
American delegation has not dis
cussed war debts with European
statesmen. Officials mere held that
to offer trade of war debts for
disarmament would be insulting to
the nations of Europe.
Requires U. S. Navy Slash
The state department said the
Hoover proposal would require some
reduction in American naval ton
mage.
1t did not know precisely how
much, but officials estimated that at
lease five battleships would be
Scrapped under the one-third re-
duction clause. The London treaty
entities the United States to flf-
teen such ships.
Officials estimated that if the
Hoover plan is accepted, the United
States will have 250,00O tons of
cruisers, Great Britain the same
amount and Japan 10000.
AS the naval cuts are based on
treaty strength rather than actual
strength, scrapping of existing YES
sells probably will not be necessary.
However, the avoidance of building
the navy up to the London treaty
strength probably would save Amer
lean taxpayers $4,000, COO, 900 during
the next decade. officials estimate.
Principles Are Listed
The President proposed the fol-
lowing five principles to guide the
world toward arms reduction:
Il. The Kellogg BRAND pact, to
which we all are signatories, can
only mean that the nations of the
world have agreed that they will
use their arms solely for defense.
%. This reduction should be car
ried out not only by broad general
cuts in armament, but by increas-
ing the comparative power of de-
Tense through decreases in the
power of the attack.
"3. The ornaments of the world
have grown up in general mutual
relation to each other. And, speak
ing gel. rally, such relatively should
be preserved in making reductions.
Il. The reductions must be real
and positive. They must effect eco
nomic relief.
IS. There are three problems 20
deal witf-land forces, air forces
and naval forces. They are all in
ter-connected. No part of the pro-
posals which I make can be dis
associated one from the other"
Urges One Third Cut
AFTER enumerating these prin-
ciples, the President declared:
Based on these principles, 1 pro-
pose that the arms of the world
should be reduced by nearly one
third"
The land force section of the pro-
posal provided that all tanks,
chemical warfare instruments and
large mobile guns should be
strapped. He held these weapons
to be offensive. He called also for
a one-third cut in all land armies.
above the strength required for po-
lice needs.
Simple and direct was the sec
ton on air forces. 1t said:
All bombing planes to be abol-
ished. This will do away with the
military possession of types of
planes capable Of attack upon, civil
populations and should be coupled
with the total prohibition Of all
bombardment from the ARR