Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Over 50 Years.] WEDNESDAY, 27th SEPT., 1933. NAVAL POLICIES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 27 September 1933, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Over 50 Years.] WEDNESDAY, 27th SEPT., 1933. NAVAL POLICIES.

Oilly in comparatively recent years has the United States Navy altered its policy as regards cruisers. The traditional view of Congress has favoured battleships heavily; gunned, and destroyers rather than cruisers for fleet auxiliary work. The lesson's of the war helped to change this view, and contemplation of the rise of Japanese naval power, based on the British example, did the rest. Both the American and the Japanese fleets have now quite outclassed British naval strength in, these waters, especially with Britain’s abandonment of the pre-war twoPower standard. The weakness of Britain to-day in these seas is, however, neither accidental nor involuntary. Japan has outpaced Britain and the United States in establishment of her fleet on the 1936 basis, partly because she was in a more favourable position to build without scrapping existing ships, and partly because her treaty quotas are smaller. The Washington Conference Treaty failed to limit numbers of any class but capital ships, and it was not till the London Naval Conference of 1930 that limitations were accepted in auxiliary vessels. ■ France and Italy stood out, France feeling aggrieved at the small quota in capital ships allowed to her at Washington, and Italy demanding parity with France. French and Italian building, however, has not been excessive,. though Italy has been turning out cruisers with great intensity during the last two years. Least of all the Powers has Britain availed herself of her building rights under the post-war treaties. In the view of the Admiralty, the delay has not caused anxiety, but further delay undoubtedly would do so, because of the accelerating wastage in older ships. The required ships can be provided, and from now onwards will be. _ What does give rise to concern in Britain is the decline in numbers of trained personnel compared with those of other Powers, and it is in this direction that the Dominions ought to aim at assisting the Mother Country. >