Evening star., 1937-11-21
j. S. NAVY ADMITS
:;SECOND RANKING
Gap Between Strengths of
Britain and America
Steadily Widens.
1y the Associated Press.

Steadily Widens.
~ The Associated Press.
New ofncial reports of the Nays
high command testified yesterday to
the shelving-at least temporarily-of
the traditional American objective Of
a navy second to none"
Without comment, Secretary Swan
son presented comparative figures in
his annual report to President Roose-
welt showing the United States was
definitely second in sea power to Great
Britain, though continuing TO lead
Japan.
Despite that the country is engaged
In the greatest program of warship
construction in its peacetime history
III vessels are building-at the pres
ent rate the gap between the Ameri-
can and British fleets will continue to
widen.
Great Britain, undertaking with a
$500, 100000 rearmament program
to establish its own security, is build
ing ships faster than the United
States. Secretary swanson's data
showed.
80, No Intention Of Competing.
Nothing authoritative has been
forthcoming to indicate that the ad-
ministration has plans to alter the
situation, or feels any serious concern.
On the contrary, Admiral William D.
Leahy, chief of operations, has said
that the United States has no in
tention of competing with the naval
program instituted by Great Britain.
The present administration policy
of building by l942 to the limits per-
mitted by the now-lapsed 1880 Lon
don treaty was established three years
ago by the Vinson- -Trammell Act. The
urogram of replacing overage vessels
IS now nearly completed" Rear Ad-
niral Adolphus Andrews, chief OF the
Bureau of Navigation, said In MS re-
port. >,
An indication that no change IN
that policy is impending has been
given by Assistant Secretary Charles
Edison.
I'VE will continue with our program
In the hope that world conditions Will
Improve instead Of getting worse" he
said. I'VE will hold to that policy
unless the world catches FIRE"
The Nays present attitude toward
its theoretical inferior position is in
marked contrast with the American
msistence upon full parity with Great
Britain in the 1880 treaty. Informed
circles believe that this view is based
upon the feeling that Britain's new
program is aimed in no way at the
United States.
Quality Factor Ignored.
Privately, officials say the inferiority
Is only quantitative- matter Of ships
and guns alone-and does not take
into account such qualitative factors
as morale, training and gunnery.
Further, they argue, the American
Navy remains second to none as long
as it operates defensively in Amer
ican waters.
Admiral Leahy's announcement that
this Government was content to let
Britain forge ahead was greeted with
satisfaction in London. where naval
officials said that only matter Of
prestige was involved in the question
Of parity. With England at the door
Of an uneasy Europe and with domin-
ions and possessions scattered around
the globe, linked by long, vulnerable
trade routes. London argues that
Britain's Navy has far greater re-
sponsibilities than any other feet.
Data presented by Secretary Swan
son showed the United States had 325
vessels aggregating l ,083, $3.50 tons, COM
pared with 2s5 Of 1,216.3e8 tons for
Great Britain and 200 Of 745, ,594 tons
for Japan.
OF modern, underage craft, however,
the United States had only 113 of
s69,230 tons to Britain's 1sl of L.
042,6s8 tons and Japan's Ill Of 70s.-
158 tons. And Britain had under
construction or contracted for 9e YES
sells Of 54l 100 tons compared with 81
American ships of 335,565 tons and
Japan's % Of 1922 tons.
Figures ON Japan Sketchy.
ENu4co 4OI Japan 3 Dull0l1G program
we're admittedly incomplete. The Far
Eastern empire, which prevented ex-
tension of the London treaty by its
insistence on abandonment of the for
mer $3.50 ratio, is not a party to the
new 1886 treaty, under which some of
the powers exchange data.
In battleships. still the backbone Of
Meet despite the development of avia-
tion and other arms, the United States
has two contracted for and the Navy
plans to ask Congress to provide for
Two more. to replace vessels approach
Ing obsolescence.
Great Britain has five authorized or
contracted for, the first of which Is
expected to be ready late next year.
The newest American battleship, the
35,000-ton North Carolina, whose kee,
was laid on Navy Day at the New York
Navy Yard, will not be completed be-
fore 1941.
Secretary Swanson implied in his
report that the Navy would concen-
trate on the construction or replace
ment Of destroyers and submarines in