5-5-3

Because obsolete boilers were responsible for the failure of several battle- ships to meet the test of the recent naval maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea, (TIME, Jan. 28), it was proposed to install oil-burning boilers in the Florida, Utah, Arkansas, Wyoming, New York, Texas. Whereupon Premier MacDonald declared in the British House of Commons that this action would be a violation of the naval limitation treaty. After taking counsel of the Department of State, Representative Butler, Chairman of the House Committee on Naval Affairs, reported last week a vigorous Naval Constitution Bill, appropriating $110,560,000. The bill calls for the conversion of the six defective battleships into oil-burners, blister protection against submarines, further deck protection against air attack, and new fire controls on the New York and Texas--the whole at a cost of $18,360,000. In addition, the building program calls for eight scout cruisers, costing $11,000,000 each, and six river gunboats (for Chinese service) at $700,000 each.

Mr. Butler's report points out that on April 1, 1924, including built, building and projected, the British Empire had 55 fast scout cruisers of a total tonnage of 298,370; Japan, 28 of a total tonnage of 170,980; and the U. S., ten of a total tonnage of 75,000.

Thomas S. Butler has been a member of Congress from Pennsylvania for more than a quarter of a century, and has earned the soubriquet "father of the big navy." In the 19th Century he predicted that competitive naval building would result in a limitation agreement. He now says that the Washington agreements of 1921 are being evaded by other nations which are now constructing smaller craft. He advocates another conference.