Evening star., 1938-03-01
3 POWERS START
NAVY RACE TALKS
Will Decide on What to Do
About Japan's Refusal
to Reveal Program.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
EUer since America. Great Britain
and France signed the 1886 naral
treaty, they haze been watching
closely to see Just 1Uhat Japan, a
non-Signer. intended to do With
regard to increasing the size OF her
nary, Japan now has refused to
disclose Whether she has erceeded
or intends to erceed $4,000 tons IN
her battleships. the limit fired BY
the 1886 treaty..
! BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, March Naval experts
OF Britain. France and the United
Safes began conferences today to de.
eide what to do about Japans refusal
to disclose whether she has built OF
intends to build battleships bigger
than $4,000 tons.
| This limit was fixed by the 1886
/ naval treaty which the three con-
| ferring powers signed, but Japan did
| not.
| The informal conversations opened
at the Admiralty a few hours before
the scheduled arrival at Plymouth OF
the new United States Ambassador to
Great Britain, Joseph P. Kennedy.
Size Of Battleships.
One of the immediate problems fac
ing him will be discussions with Brit
ain and France to determine how
large battleships each shall build.
Capt. Russell Wilson. naval attache
to the American Embassy, represented
the United States at today's informal
discussions.
! 1t was taken as foregone conclu-
| sion that the ''escalator' clause of the
treaty would be invoked. allowing
signatories to exceed the treaty limits
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in
declared he would throw the whole
question of Britain's towering defense
structure open to debate Monday in
the House of Commons
He told the House debate would fol-
low publication tomorrow night of the
annual defense white paper. the OFF,
cial government report, on the en-
pire's S7,500, 100000 f1ve-year arms
building program, now in its second
year.
Chamberlain said he would open
the debate himself.
Costly British Program.
Britain now is deep IN a costly re-
armament program and reported to be
strongly opposed to naval race with
abandonment of all tonnage restric-
tions.
Britain's naval estimates for the
coming year are to be introduced IN
Parliament this month and an an
nouncement of British intentions Is
expected then.
There was an unconf1rmed report
here that the United States favors
$4,000 tons of battleships, while
Britain favors figure slightly above
10000.
Battleships this size would permit
the mounting of 16-inch guns.
Sir Thomas Inskip, defense minis.
ter, has estimated Britain's 1885
armament costs at between 1925 5,00O,- :
600 and $3.50, 900, 900 sterling ($1 $685.
100000 to 81, ESQ, 100000.
Unoficially it was believed the 1881
naval expenditures of fl05, ,000, ,00C
(about $525 5,000,000) would be in.
creased by G15.000,o00 (s75. .000. .00O.
There are about $50 warships either
being constructed or ordered con.
structed, about go Of them due to bt
completed this year. The $50 figure
includes S battleships, aircraft car.
riers, II cruisers, 40 destroyers, IL
submarines and so motor torpedo
boats.
Some Informed persons believed the
1889 naval estimates might provide
two, or even four, more battleships ir
addition to the five of the King George
v class now under construction.
In its battleship category the navy
may decide bigger tonnage and bigger
guns are necessary. It also may de-
/ L.A