Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-07-20
TELEPHONE NUMBER NINE
NAVAL PROPOSALS

AS was to have been expected, the constructive pro-
posal OF President Hoover for a one-third reduction in
armament is meeting with q~uibbling and delay abroad.
Any program of the kind, simple, and easy to under
stand, always meets with disapproval of most of the
European diplomats. The reason is easy to find. While
these diplomats would not object to some arms reduction,
each wants 1t brought about In a way that will give his
country some advantage over all the rest of them. None
is willing to make a sacrifice which might give the other
fellow any advantage or an even break.
The recent statement of the British navy heads is a case
in point. While praising the Hoover program for its high
motives and agreeing with it Gin principle the British
naval experts then go ahead to state their objections.
Among other things it is declared that because of Great
Britain's far flung colonial possessions it is impractic-
able for her to reduce the number of her naval vessels be-
low a certain point. Then the Ethiopian in the woodpile
is disclosed. While unable to reduce the number Great
Britain is willing to reduce the size of her ships. Among
the proposals made are these:
4. Reduce the maximum size of any future capital
ship to $4,000 tons and the maximum caliber of the guns
carried to II inches from $4,000 tons and 16-inch guns)
20. Reduce the maximum size of cruisers hereafter
constructed to 1000 tons and the maximum caliber of
guns to 81 inches from 10000 tons and 8-nch guns.
"3. If international agreement on point 2 can not be
obtained, the government of the United Kingdom will still
urge the maximum size of capital ships should be reduced
to $4,000 tons and their guns to IL inches as a maximum. =
This program is calculated not only to protect British
interests but to give the British navy a distinct advant-
age over that of the United States. While Great Britain
has far flung colonial possessions she also possesses far
flung and widely scattered naval bases. And because
she has these bases she does not need capital ships of as
large size as those required by the United States. With
her many naval bases British ships can put In all over
the world for refueling and the replenishing of supplies
and munitions of war. For this reason she does not re-
quire ships of large tonnage. On the other hand Uncle
Sam, without these bases must, in case of trouble, load
his ships for long cruises, and warships of small tonnage
are therefore comparatively valueless. If Great Britain
therefore could get an agreement along the lines outlined
above, she would, with an equal number of ships not only
have parity with the United States but a distinct super
iority over the United States. This is of course the
foundation of British naval policy. Great Britain not only
wants a navy second to none, but one which is poten-
TALLY superior to that of any other nation IN the world.
1t may be true that she does not fear or expect war with
the United States and that such a combat is "unthlnk-
able But British vision extends farther than that. In
case of war between Britain and another power, with a
superior navy John Bull can impose and enforce any
rules on the high seas that he pleases and there will be
nothing that Uncle Sam or any other nation can do about
it, except write him another note.