Evening star., 1935-11-26
PLAN MAY DELAY
NAVY ARMS RACE
London ConfereeS to Get
Proposal Extending War
ships Life.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A plan which might postpone any
International race to build big war
ships is considered likely to be dis
cussed exhaustively at the Naval Con-
Terence opening in London Decem-
ber 6.
The plan is bound up with the ques-
tion as to when a battleship should
be considered lover age"-that is, old
enough to be replaced with a new
ship.
The present treaties limiting the
worlds major navies say that after
1886 battleShips may be replaced
when they reach the age of 20.
However, these treaties are now
doomed to expire at the end of 1886.
The objective of the London confer
encs is to reach new agreement.
Suggestions have been made in sew
eral countries that requirements be
permitted only after a big ship is
Is or 26 years old.
Maintain Status Quo.
Some experts argue this would tend
to maintain the status quo" among
British. American and Japanese capi-
tai ships. They say building race
IN battleships and battle cruisers, by
lar the most expensive warships afloat,
would virtually be postponed for sew
eral years at least.
Admiral William H. Standley, an
American delegate to the conference.
declined today to discuss the Ameri-
can position on this suggestion. Other
naval experts also withheld comment.
The United States has Is battle
ships of 464 300 tons. but naval tabu-
lations here say that when the treaties
expire only eight, of 26O,55O tons, will
be under 20 years old However,
most of the seven others would have
several years to go before they be-
came 26.
Under present treaties the United
States could replace Is battleships
every 20 years. If the age limit were
extended construction expense would
be Slashed, because the building of the
15 would be stretched over Is or 26
years.
Great Britain has Is battleships and
battle cruisers of 474,750 tons, of
which only four, of 1856 tons, will
be under age December 81, 1886.
japanese Defense.
The japanese first line of capital
ships consists of nine of 272,07O tons,
of which five, of 154.75o tons, will be
under age.
No estimates are available here as
IN Tryoo tLoo Oh
would have en- British and japanese
fleets or programs.
Expecting to land in England at al
most the hour the parley opens, the
American delegation will perfect final
plans for its participation in the Lon
don conference while it journeys across
the Atlantic.
Norman H. Davis. William Phillips
and Admiral Standley, American del
egateS, will sail on the Aquitania at
midnight Friday, arriving at South
ampton at noon of December g.
Technical and diplomatic advisers will
sail on December 8.
Davis today was drafting his open
ing address. in which he will set forth
American aspirations for limitation in
naval armament.
Chiefs of the British, japanese.
French and Italian delegations also
are slated to make opening addresses
outlining their policies before the en-
voyS of the sea powers get down to
brass-tack talk about limitation of
naval construction when the Wash
ington and London treaties end next
year.
Comdr. Roscoe E. Schuirmann and
Lieut.. Arthur D. Ayrault of Admiral
Standley's technical staff and Noel
Field and David M. Key of the State
Department will accompany the del
egates.