"Sink Some Cruisers"

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 731, 2 August 1929, Page 9

"Sink Some Cruisers"

BORAH CHALLENGES BRITAIN Means of Reaching Parity AMERICA WELL BEHIND IN SHIPS fUnited P.A. —Bp Telegraph — Copyright' (Australian and N.Z. Tress Association< (United Service) Received 10.15 a.m. WASHINGTON. Thursday. IN a statement made on Thursday, Chairman W. E. Borah, of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate, called on Great Britain to sink some of her ships as a means of reaching parity with the American Navy. He said Britain had 59 modern cruisers, while America had IS built or building.

Senator Borah was a luncheon guest of President Hoover on Wednesday. It is presumed that the impending naval limitations conference was discussed.

The Washington correspondent of the United Press Association says it is reliably reported that the inspection of battleship power in the next naval reduction conference will involve proposals for extending the life of battle-

ships and decreasing their size; but it is unlikely that total abolition of battleships will be discussed. The information shows that no official proposal has ever been made here for a complete elimination of this type of craft, despite the tremendous building expenses faced by the United States and other countries beginning in 1931 under the replacement of the ships of the 1922 capital ship treaty. American officials hold that the 20year period set by the 1922 treaty as the life of a battleship is too short. It is pointed out that Britain has three battleships of the Hood type, much larger than America’s largest, and if

reduction is carried on along the lines proposed by the British after the 1927 three-Power conference, Britain would have ships much more powerful than any possessed by or possible to the United States. BRITISH BUILDING CUT BLOW TO INDUSTRY AND WORKERS VITAL SACRIFICE MADE CAustralian and 2?.Z. Press Association) LONDON, Thursday. Naval correspondents say the extent of the Government’s naval cuts is hardly realised. It has been stated that no real sacrifice of naval strength was made in suspending the construction of the cruisers Surrey and Northumberland and. in cancelling two submarines and the submarine depot-ship Medway. Actually, however, all the vessels named belonged to the 192 S programme, for which large sums were voted by Parliament long ago. The scheme was estimated to cost about £11,000,000. The action of the Government, however, has reduced that to £5,000,000. Nor is it true to say the vessels in question were merely contemplated. On the contrary, say the correspondents, all were ordered months ago and orders already had been placed for material to the extent of £1,750,000, and authority had been given to expend an additional sum of £1,400,000 in the current year. Apart from the blow to industry caused by the'cuts the correspondents say there undoubtedly will be claims for compensation for broken contracts. The nav-al correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says it will be seen that Britain has made a real and vital sacrifice in the interests of international disarmament and goodwill. Owing to the Admiralty having cancelled the submarine contract the firm of William Beardmore and Company, Limited, has paid off 700 Clydeside workers.