Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-07-20
PARIS MAY SCRAP
WASHINGTON PACT
Move by Italy to Build Bat.
tleships Is Worrying
French.
BIT CONSTANTINE BROWN.


n the Italian government actually
begins the construction Of tao $4,000
ton battleshlps. the French govern
rnsnt VIII be compelled IN denounce
the Warrington naval agreement, IT
vas stated in responsible quarters to-
day.
The announcement that Italy in
tends N build these large battleship'
IS worrying the French and British
governments. France. it Is stated.
does not want n spend some SO 600.
600 on two bsttleshipS 81 the same
type and power - those the Italians
intend to build but should The Italian
plan actually n1sterialize the French
government viii be compelled TO do
%.
The naval policy ~ the French
government Is n maintain two
power standard in regard to Ger
many and Italy.
Answer German Competition.
In answer 10 the German constrlc-
ton ri the three pocket battleships.
the French are building two bunker
que type" battle cruisers. larger and
more powerful than the German units.
These two ships. the French naval
authorities assert will be suf1cient
10 guarantee Frances security in the
North.
The construction Of two super
treadnaughts by the Italians will call
for the construction Of two ships OF
the same category by the French. The
Mediterranean is more important 10
the French than the North Atlantic
because Of the communications with
her North African possessions and
other colonies.
Regarded as Menace.
The presence Of two Italian battle
ships In the Mediterranean--shipS
which. II is said by naval experts, will
be more modern than any other yes
sells afioat--constitutes direct men
ace to Frances security, and demands
o counter action.
The Italians. in planning to build
the new ships are merely availing
themselves OF the tonnage allotted
them by the Washington treaty.
According to that treaty both
France and Italy are entitled to build
battleships up to 10000 tons.
The Italians have not built any
such units since the war. Conse-
quently they are free to use that ton
mage in any way they like.
The French have already drawn
$4,000 tons on the tonnage allotted
them when they started building the
two "eDunkerques'' of IS 900 tons each.
Consequently. under the Washington
treaty. they have only $4,000 tons
available. To this tonnage must be
added $4,000 replacement tonnage.
The battleship France went to the bot
tom in 1926, and that tonnage Is now
available to them. But even so, they
are about 10000 tons short, II they
decide to build two ships equal to the
Italian units. Unless they denounce
the Washington naval agreement, they
cannot proceed with the construc-
ton of these battleships.
British Exertins Influence.
At the present moment the British
government has taken the matter in
hand and is endeavoring to prevail
upon the italians to abandon the plan.
The British do not want the Wash
ington pact denounced, and, further
more. they are trying to form bloc
with the other naval powers to i'm
pose upon the United States a reduc-
ton OF the size OF the battleships
from their present 35,000-ton maxi
mum limit, to $4,000 tons. The &C
ton OF the Italians, which will have
TO be followed by the French, makes
such a stand impossible at the next
naval conference.
For this reason the British Foreign
once is using all the influence it has
to induce Mussolini to abandon the
construction Of the two vessels which
he has publicly announced about
month ago.
Plan Regarded Lightly Here.
In washington, Mussolinis plans
are taken lightly. 1t is believed that
the Italians. in their present eco
nomic and financial situation cannot
afford to spend a huge sum for two
new battleShips OF questionable
practical value at this time.
The general belief here is that
Nhlssolini wants to be armed with
some blue prints at the next Naval
Conference. These blue prints would
put him in a good bargaining posi-
ton when he will demand again
naval parity with France. This
method which was successful at the
Washington Conference in 1921, when
America strapped new ships which
had cost the country many millions,
for British and japanese would be"
haftleShins NAV work apain