Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-12-05
FURTHER ISOLATION
OF i. S. INDICATED.
Europe Constructs Ships
While Disarmament Talks
Continue.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

America will henceforth be more iso-
lated than ever. This result is expected
by high officials in Washington as a
consequence of the opposition Of Con-
greSs and public opinion to any post
ponement Of the debts due by the
European countries this month, and a
certain amount Of intransigeance on
Capitol Hill to any revision whatsoever.
unless it we're based on bona fide case
of inability to pay, or on some actual
economic advantages to the American
people in terms of downward scaling
CT tariffs.
At the same time, when it is re-
ported from Europe that the debtor
countries are likely to enforce re-
prisals, if the American Congress re-
fuses to revise debts on the basis of
international economic cooperation, -
news regarding disarmament is none
to cheerful.
1t is true that the Geneva reports are
moderately optimistic. But the actual
steps taken by the leading European
powers deny the official optimism of
those delegates who are absorbing tn,
Geneva atmosphere"
fFc5rSSS Encouraging.
The American delegation at the Dis
armament Conference and the repre-
SentativeS of the American press at
Geneva report that encouraging prog
reSS Is being made and that before
the Christmas recess a treaty will be
signed. This treaty, it is said, will en-
body the meager progress made by all
nations heretofore, will adopt certain
rncnlyitinnc indiNafiY1n thu rrric1Y ~ fho
contracting powers to diSarm and will
contain a decision whereby a perma-
nent commission of the League of Ma
tions will be established in the capital
to deal with the various disarmament
questions as they may come up in the
course of the next few years.
But while at Geneva the world ma
tons are talking peace and disarma-
ment the various military and naval
measures they have taken in the course
of this year seem to deny their pacific
intentions.
A naval holiday for one year was
proclaimed on November l. 1881, this
holiday was extended by common agree
ment until March l, 1888. But during
this time most nations. with the excep-
ton of the United States have proceeded
with their naval programs.
1t is true that technically not single
foreign country has broken the pledge
not to build new ships. But the naval
holiday provided that requirements
should be built and most Of the coun-
tries have taken advantage of that loop
hole tc proceed with a somewhat re-
duced naval construction program
New Expressions in Use.
Since the Kellogg BRAND pact new
expressions have been introduced in the
international vocabulary. Thus wars
are at present abolished Those who
| fight TODAY conceal their action by de-
scribing their fights as incidents oil
| frictions. In the same manner, the
nations Of the world cloak their nava
programs under the expression of re-
placements. What these replacement:
mean can be easily gathered from the
| following figures.
! Since the acceptance Of the nava
holiday, the United States has laid the
keel for only one warship-the l.40O-
| ton destroyer Farragut. But what have
! the other nations done? Great Britain
| has laid the keel for three cruiser!
| totaling 10000 tons in the course O
the holiday year of 1882. In addition
| to this the British government has lie
contracts for one destroyer and on
submarine. On the eve of the truce, il
September, 1881, the admiralty lait
down two cruisers of 1000 tons each
two destroyers. and three submarines.
Japan has laid down, three days be.
| fore the beginning of the naval holi
day, one 8.500-ton cruiser, and in TIT
course of the holiday year has laid thu
keel for another 8,500-ton cruiser, foul
destroyers of 1873 tons each. and thret
| submarines of ! 400 tons each.
Between November 10. 1881, and thu
end of this year France has begun TIT
actual construction of three cruisers o.
1000 tons each, five destroyer leaders
of 1859 tons each. five submarines
totaling some 1000 tons and a number
| of miscellaneous small craft not linn.
| tied by any of the existing treaties.
Work in Italy Announced.
italy has proceeded to reorganize
thoroughly her navy, and has laid the
keel last July for two 6,000-ton cruisers
and two small destroyers. These new
constructions were made public only