NAVY REDUCTION

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1929, Page 6

NAVY REDUCTION

AMERICA’S PLAN

(United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

LONDON, May 13

The “ Daily Telegraph’s ’’ naval correspondent, in amplifying the United mates' scheme- -for - the reducing,#! lighting fleets (as cabled on May sth), states TTlie .formula is. being closely scrutinised hy the British expeits, since an actual reduction, as distinct from a limitation, is now proposed. The Vnited States is no longer willing to concede the maximum of four hundred tlmusaud tons'for cruisers, which they 'offered, at Xleneva.un 1927. No figure siboVo a quiirter of a million tons is now to he conceded. Thus the ac"entanco of the formula will involve a bcavv reduction in tho current American navy building programme, and tho wholesale scrapping of British vessels. The correspondent continues: British naval opinion regards a quarter of a millions tons as being utterly insufficient. This quota would allow of twen-ty-five teii-thoiisaud-tonners of the C‘ounfey class, or thirty 8400 tonnois Of the York class. As half the quota I would he absorbed in the Battle Fleet, | barely a dozen cruisers would be telt lor the defence of trade routes. It is inconceivable that the British Adnm - I silt y would agree to a reduction leaving 'floating trade defenceless in wartime. ,The correspondent adds: Hie United States seem still to-be determined to build only ten-thousand tonners, against which smaller cruisers will he valueless. If the United States would agree to discard their ten-thousand tonners it would he easy to efFect a substantial reduction in strength. Britain is likely to raise the matter of protecting oil supplies, which must he | .transported thousands of miles by sea. It can lie stated authoritatively that British proposals that will he forthcoming at tlie next Conference will offei a practicable method of reducing the size of aggressive power and the cost of the world’s fighting fleets.