Show INSIDE STORY ABOUT HARDING ARMS PARLEY Coolidge Proposal to Hinge on oil American Bargaining Power By y DREW IE Copyright 1927 by Consolidated Press Association WASHINGTON Feb The 12 12 success of President Coolidge's proposal for tor fu further limitation of ot naval aval armaments seems likely to hinge primarily upon the bargain bargain- bargaining ns Int ing power of ot the United States It If Ithe the United States can convInce England Japan France and Italy that American public opinion stands ready to back a 0 big bl navy should l the conference fail fall then they ar are likely to shun a competitive build build- buildIng buIldIng ng Ing race with the wealthiest nation In the tho world The Importance of ot AmerIcan bargaining power In forcing dis disarmament dis- dis disarmament armament can be Illustrated by a hitherto unpublished story which Representative e Butler ot of Pennsyl Pennsylvania vania rania chairman of o the house corn com committee com committee on naval affairs recently told the writer SOl n FOR FOn SUCCESS Long before the invitations to the Washington arms conference were Issued President harding sent sentor for tor Mr Ir Butler and disclosed the then secret plan for tor calling the conference Mr Butler was was re- re requested requested re requested quested to draw up a a bill provid- provid providing nc l- l lIng Ing for tor the th array of ot dread dread- cruisers and submarines which the tb world had ever dreamed of and to hold It o er the tho heads i ot of the foreign delegates ready In incase Incase case caso of ot disagreement to introduce In congre before the delegates del could get to the th Union station as Mr Harding Hardine expressed it It This to- to together together to gether with the exceptionallY strong naval position which the United States occupied l after aCter the war Mr Butler cOI considers to have been primarily responsible tor for the success o of the tho Washington confer confer- conference ence ence In the tho coming Geneva conference It if It materializes the United Unite 1 States will not wield the th bargaining power pow pow- er r in respect to ships actually bUilding which It did at Washing Washing- Washington WashIngton ton ton in 1921 but It will have hav in the th background the th threat of the bill for tor three cruisers which has bas Just passed assed the th senate and is now be- be beIng being nc be-nc Ing reconsidered In the the- house Speaker Longworth's speech tor for the three cruiser bill corning coming as It did the evening before publication ot of the naval conference proposal ma maybe may mayo be o construed as a warning to the powers that it If they thy do not accept the American suggestion to limit navies the three cruiser bill will wUl ImmedIately pass the house FRANCE IR BIG FACTOR Observers here believe that If anyone any ono one nation turns down President dent Coolidge's suggested confer confer- conference conference conference ence at Geneva or after attending It it prevents a D settlement that na- na nation lon na-lon lion tion will wilt be b France Franco France ac- ac accepted accepted ac accepted tho the Washington arranGe arrange- arrangement ment arrance-ment ment giving her ber a ratio only after a protest ani and during the ses- ses sessions ses sessions of ot the preliminary disarmament disarmament disarmament ment commission in Geneva Gencva she ahe has conveniently maintained that naval armament should be limited on the tho basis of ot what she called tonnage rather than by bycraft craft tonnage In other words France main maintains talus that the amount of naval ton ton- tonnage ton ton nage which a nation nallon possesses In- In Including including in everything from dread dread- to mino sweepers should be added up and a total fixed as a 0 basIs tor for naval reduction France further maintains that It Is of no concern to to- to the outside world whether a nation builds one dread dread- rea- rea naught or a a thousand submarines so long lone as the total tonnage limit Is not exceeded The Tho reasons for tor the French stand are arc obvious Her lIer Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts can be more easily protected by submarines than by capital ships Moreover submarines are much cheaper to build than France Franceis Is a frugal nation Although she heIs Is allowed to build tons ot of new and modern ca capital ships at present her navy comes nowhere near that ratio But her submarines submarines rines in preparation are ar much more modern and much more snore hu- hu nu numerous FRENCH PROGRAM France also believes believe that In the enclosed and more quiet waters ot of the Mediterranean Mc there are arc great possibilities for tor the development 01 defense and attack by aircraft Con Con- Consequently Consequently she aho is spending much mu money not only on naval aircraft but on aircraft defense etense Her new cruisers are built with far more mor anti-aircraft anti guns than are AmerIcan American ican lean vessels Also her light cruisers sacrifice thickness of armor to speed Italy Is If experimenting In the same way lIB as a the tho naval problem of ot these two countries are essentially lally similar That is why President Coolidge In his memorandum memorandum to tho the four tour naval powers took such euch pains to point that the special conditions and require require- requirements ments meats In regard to the th types of vessels of Italy and France Franco might be left to discussion lon Should France Franca refuse to fix a limiting ratio for her destroyers at tho the proposed Geneva conference a separate arrangement might be b worked out among amone Japan Britain and the th United 1 Unite States whereby they would each build light cruls- cruls en destroyers and submarines on ona ona ora a three five ratio but with witha witra a 0 provision that If It at any time tim France Franco or 01 Italy Increased Its sub sub- submarine submarino marine fleet beyond the th agreed point each of ot the three big biff naval powers would be entitled to increase ase theIr auxiliary craft by a like de- de degree degree gree Such an arrangement would at least lea t do away a ay with competitive cruiser an and t destroyer building by Japan England and the th United States |