Evening star., 1937-08-15
LEASING WARSH|PS
PER|L0US FOR j. S.
History Shows Many Cases
of Pitfalls in Aiding
Other NaVieS.
Special Dispatch to TIE Star.


tary of State Cordell Hull's proposal
to lease six United States destroyers
to Brazil has aroused enough contro-
versy to prove again that international
co-operation in naval armament often
leads to dangerous friction. The Ar
gentine press has protested vigor-
ously; European newspapers regard
the scheme as aimed at Germany
And past experience shows that sup
plying naval vessels to foreign coun-
tries may involve serious complica-
tons, even-as in the case of Great
Britain and Turkey in 19l4-war itself
International law forbids the build
ing or equipment of warships for bel
ligerents by neutral nation, even
if the work is done by private firms.
During the American Civil War
Messrs. Laird English shipbuilders,
constructed the famous Confederate
cruiser Alabama. The United States
Minister protested, but the Alabama
was permitted to sail from Great
Britain and pick up her armament at
the Azores. Then she proceeded to
ravage American shipping.
Later, other Confederate vessels,
were sent out of English ports
notably the Shenandoah and the Flor
ida. Finally MeSsrs. Laird began con-
struction of two dangerous armor-clad
ships. The United States Minister,
Charles Francis Adams. made direct
threat that if these ships We're per-
mitted to sail, his country would re-
gard it as an act of war, and the
British ordered the work stopped.
North's Feeling Anti British.
After the war, the feeling of the
North was strongly anti-British as
result of the widespread devastation
of Union shipping caused by British
built ships. The Government pre-
sented its bill for the damages to the
English, and in 1871, by the treaty of
Washington, England acknowledged
herself at fault and agreed to submit
the damages for arbitration. The
Hrbitrators granted SIS, 100000 to the
United States, and the precedent was
established that neutral governments
must use all the means at their dis
posal to prevent the building or out
fitting of warships in their ports for
nation engaged in hostilities. This
doctrine was reaffirmed by The Hague
convention of 1907.
But except for the sgnatories of the
London naval treaty, there is no re-
striction in international law on the
building or sale Of warships to friend
ly powers in peacetime. Many coun-
tries are poorly equipped for naval
construction, and are consequently de-
pendent on foreign shipyards. This
is particularly true of the South
American countries. virtually all OF
whose naVies are foreign built. Great
Britain has always been a great
source of supply for statesmen shop
ping for navies, much of the Brazil
ian Navy, for example, was built on
the banks of the Clyde. Two Argen-
tinian warships came from the United
States. and Germany and France have
contributed Italy, especially in re-
cent years, has also helped forward
South American naval progress.
The sudden threat Of war some
times produces brisk market in un-
finished war vessels. In 1898, when
this country was rapidly drifting into
war with Spain, British shipwrights
were at work on two cruisers for
Brazil. The United States was less
interested in increasing its own naval
forces-though that was not unde-
sirable-than in forestalling the Span
ish, The two cruisers were purchased
from Brazil while still on the stocks,
eventually to be added to our navy as
the New Orleans and the Albany.
British Experience Worse.
This saction created no an
noyance except in Spain. But the ex-
perience of Great Britain at the out
break of the World War was less
happy. A common feature of con-
tracts between British firms and for
eign naval authorities was a clause
permitting the English, in case Of
themselves being involved in war, to
take over vessels building in British
yards and to add them to their own
navy. In 1914 several war vessels
destined for other nations were TAX
They included two battleships and
some destroyers for Chile and two
dreadnaughts for Turkey.
The Almrante Datorre, one of the
Chilean ships, was Immediately bought
by the British, and on completion it
was taken into the navy as the Cam
ada. After the war the vessel was
for While on the Almirante Coch-
rane, the other Chilean battleship, but
1t was eventually purchased and turned
into an aircraft carrier. 1t is still
IN the British Navy as the Eagle
The destroyers were purchased and
resold to Chile after the conclusion
OF hostilities-except for one which
was sunk at Jutland
Dealings with Chile were amicable
enough. but the case was otherwise
with Turkey. Both Germany and
Great Britain had been angling for
Turkish support for years, and when
the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was
Killed at Sarajevo the Germans were
getting somewhat the better of the
deal But Turkey had been through
exhaustlng wars with Italy and the
Balkan states, as well as major rev.
olution. 1t is possible that she might
have remained neutral, and it was
certainly to the advantage of Great
Britain to keep her so. A hostile Tur-
key was threat at Egypt and the
Suez Canal, as well as strong bar
rier between Russia and the other
allies and drain On the Czar,s ,nili