Evening star., 1934-01-28
Modernization Costly.


In view of our inability to make up
our great deficiency in under-age ton
mage prior to the end of the London
treaty, it becomes necessary to extend
the lives of our present ships by making
repairs and alteratio OF course. it
must be recognized that no amount Of
modernization can make an old ship
equal to new one Furthermore. the
cost is high for the results achieved 1t
can be justified only on the ground
that it is the best way out of bad
situation.
We are unable to replace all Of the
over-age units now. partly because Of
the excessive drain on the Treasury
lack of sufficient shipbuilding capacity
and, finally, because it Is very i'm
portant to spread out the program so
as to make it as nearly uniform as
possible. A steady work load is essen
tial to economical construction as well
as to the best design.
approximately three years will be
required to complete the vessels now
building. AS the time approaches for
the launching Of each, we must be
ready to lay down another so that the
objective of a steady, continuous pro-
gram can be attained. We must break
away from the old hit-or miss system.
with alternating periods Of intense
activity and complete idleness. BY
holding to steady work load. our
ships will be cheaper and vastly better
They will be better designed and bet
ter built. I urge that the United States
adopt now a fixed policy of building
its Navy substantially to the limit in
each category which has been or may
be prescribed by international agree
ment. In this way, the welfare and
security of our country will depend
upon ourselves and not upon the
generosity of any foreign power.
BY the London treaty the United
States. Great Britain and Japan agreed
not to lay down any replacement battle
ships until after 1886. In 8-inch gun
cruisers we are allowed l8, of which the
seventeenth will be begun in 1884 and
the eighteenth can be started in 1885.
In the 6-inch gun cruiser category,
however we will be $4,000 tons short Of
our allowance, even after the four TO-
000-ton units recently contracted for
have been built. This shortage is i'm
portant and must not be forgotten.
In destroyers our situation is vastly
different. Indeed, the United States is
shockingly and dangerously deficient in
this category BY treaty We are allowed
$50, 900 tons of them. casual exam
nation Of the Navy list might lead one
to think our situation is satisfactory,
for it now shows a total of PSI destroy
ers of 267.470 tons The niger in the
woodpile is that every last one of them
will have become over age within the
next few months and their military use
fulnesS Is about at an end. They were
built as part of our effort in the
World War and the last of them was
completed In 1922. From that year
until 1882 We laid down not a single
unit Of this type. whereas, in the same
period. Great Britain laid down So, ia
pan 43, France SIS and Italy 80.
Program Just . Start.
A start has been made. under the
leadership of President Roosevelt toward
remedving this bad situation. We now
have under construction 80 destroyers
which will aggregate so. 800 tons. How
ever. this program must be recognized
as start only and it is imperative that
We continue uniformly.
In submarines our position is some
what better. though far from Satisfac-
tory. The United States Great Britain
and Japan are allowed to have 52.700
of the London treaty the under-age
tonnage remaining to each from those
now in commission will be:
United States .18-24,8l0 tons
Great Britain 3O-38.4 400 tons
Japan .................38 38-52.272 tons
In addition to the above We have
under construction six submarines Of
1850 tons, Great Britain seven of 1906
tons and Japan has six of 5000 tons.
Besides these Japan has appropriated
for nine more of 1000 tons. Provided
all of the above are completed. it is
easy to see that our total of under age
tonnage at the expiration Of the treaty
will be 20.430 tons less than permitted,
whereas Japan will have an excess Of
1912 tons. This excess Is allowable
under the provision of the treaty which
authorizes the laying down Of replace
ments three years In advance Of the
year in which the unit to be replaced
becomes over age It emphasizes, how
ever, the Japanese determination to
keep right up to the treaty limits, in
contrast with our complete failure to
do so.
(Copyright. 1934)