AMERICA IN FAVOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 36, 11 August 1936, Page 8

AMERICA IN FAVOUR

THE SIXTEEN-INCH GUN

The United States Navy Department favours installation of 16in guns on anynew capital ships that may be constructed, it was indicated recently by Admiral William H. Stanley, Chief of Operations, says the "New York Times." > ■ ■ Plans for the two battleships for which funds were voted at the last session of Congress, to be built at the discretion of President Roosevelt, are still in the stage where the various possibilities of design are open to discussion. Under the London* Naval Treaty of last spring, which was ratified by the Senate just before the adjournment of Congress, the United States agreed, along with the other signatories, to reduce the size of guns on capital ships from a maximum of 16in to a maximum of 14in provided that Italy and Japan would agree to the same limitation. Should either or both of these countries decline to limit'the calibre of their capital ship armaments, the treaty signatories would then be unbound.' Japan has already declined to adhere to the Naval Pact, but might still give assurances on the calibre limitation. American naval tacticians favour the larger gun for the American Fleet. Admiral Standley said that "we feel our 16in gun is more satisfactory for our purposes." The Chief of Operations made it clear that the present policy of the navy was concerned almost exclusively with building up to the strength authorised by the London Treaty of 1930, a programme that will take five years tp complete. He expressed regret that Congress had failed to pass the Administration Bill authorising construction of a ■ number of auxiliary vessels. American experts are not particularly interested at this time in the small, fast torpedo boats which the British and Italian navies have been testing. Admiral Standley expressed the view that "getting our navy built to treaty strength is more important than experimening with sea sleds."