DATA ON PRINCIPAL NAVIES OF THE WORLD

STATISTICAL TABLES ON TREATY NAVIES

Table I. A bird's-eye view of the Washington and 1930 London Naval Treaties.

Table II. Effects on warship tonnage of Washington and 1930 London Treaty alowances of Great Britain, Japan, and United States, resulting from invocation of article 21 of the 1930 London Treaty. Table III. A brief Résumé of the 1936 London Naval Treaty, signed March 25, 1936, effective July 29, 1937.

Table VI. Number of combatant ships in full commission or fully manned, as of 1 November, 1937.

TABLE I. A bird's-eye view of the Washington und London naval treaties

FOREWORD

When the London Treaty took effect it specified that the naval strengths of the signatory powers should not, on December 31, 1936, exceed certain limits as given below. The London Treaty prescribed rules for replacement and rules for laying down new tonnage as shown below:

ANNEX I. RULES FOR REPLACEMENT

SECTION I.-Except as provided in section III of this annex xand part III of the present treaty, a vessel shall not be replaced before it becomes "over age." A vessel shall be deemed to be "over age" when the following number of years have elapsed since the date of its completion:

(a) For a surface vessel exceeding 3,000 tons but not exceeding 10,000 tons standard displacement:

(1) if laid down before the 1st January 1920: 16 years;

(2) if laid down after the 31st December 1919: 20 years.

(b) For a surface vessel not exceeding 3,000 tons standard displacement:
(1) if laid down before the 1st Janlary 1921: 12 years;
(2) if laid down after the 31st December 1920: 16 years.

(c) For a submarine: 13 years.

The keels of replacement tonnage should not be laid down more than 3 years before the year in which the vessel to be replaced becomes "over age"; but this period is reduced to 2 years in the case of any replacement surface vessel not exceeding 3,000 tons standard displacement.

The right of replacement is not lost by delay in laying down replacement tonnage.

SECTION II.-Except as otherwise provided in the present treaty, the vessel or vessels, whose retention would cause the maximum tonnage permitted in the category to be exceeded, shall, on the completion or acquisition of replacement tonnage, be disposed of in accordance with Annex II to this part II. SECTION III.-In the event of loss or accidental destruction a vessel may be immediately replaced.

ARTICLE 19

Except as provided in article 20, the tonnage laid down in any category subject to limitation in accordance with article 16 shall not exceed the amount necessary to reach the maximum allowed tonnage of the category, or to replace vessels that become "over age" before the 31st December 1936. Nevertheless, replacement tonnage may be laid down for cruisers and submarines that become "over age" in 1937, 1938, and 1939, and for destroyers that become "over age" in 1937 and 1938.

TREATY ALLOWANCES

(For more complete information, reference should be made to the treaty texts) Under the terms of the Washington and London Treaties the following maximum tonnages and/or numbers of ships in the various categories are allowed: As regards cruiser, destroyer, and submarine categories the London Treaty prescribed that vessels, which cause the total tonnage allowed in any of the three categories to exceed the figures set down in the London Treaty, shall be disposed of gradually during the period ending on 31st December 1936.

TABLE II. Effects on warship tonnage of Washington and 1930 London Treaty allowances of Great Britain, Japan, and United States, resulting from invocation of art. 21 of the 1930 London Treaty

Excess tonnage retained

Increases permitted due to invocation of Art. 21

Great Britain:

Cruisers (b), 20,270 (cruisers (a) and (b) combined)-Invoked art. 21 Dec. 23, 1936).
Destroyers, 40,000 (invoked art. 21 July 15, 1936).
Submarines, none.....

Tons
1 20, 270

40,000

15, 598

1 12, 488 1 28, 133

115, 598

1 20,270

1 40,000

1 15,598

1 Subcategories (a) and (b) combined in figuring additional cruiser (b) tonnage permitted to be retained. NOTE. Art. 21 provides that any signatory, considering national security materially affected by new construction of a nonsignatory, may, with due notification to other signatories, increase tonnage within 1 or more categories. Other signatories may then make proportionate increases in these categories specifiled. Art. 17 permits a transfer, not exceeding 10 percent of the allowed tonnage into which the transfer is to be made, between cruisers of subcategory (b) and destroyers.

TABLE III.-Brief résumé of new naval treaty signed March 25, 1936

Signatory powers.-United States, France, and British empire. Open to accession by other signers of the London Treaty.

Effective. From July 29, 1937, to December 31, 1942. Bilateral agreement between Great Britain, Germany, and Russia, signed on July 17 and effective when ratified, on November 4, 1937.

Capital ships:

DEFINITIONS OF CATEGORIES

(a) Over 10,000 tons or more than 8-inch gun (not aircraft carriers or capital ships (b)).

(b) Not over 8,000 tons and more than 8-inch gun (not aircraft carriers). Aircraft carriers: For carrying or operating aircraft at sea.

(a) With flight deck.

(b) Without flight deck.

Light surface vessels:

Not aircraft carriers, minor war, or auxiliary vessels.

Over 100 tons and not over 10,000 tons, and with no gun over 8 inches, divided into

(a) Gun over 6.1 inches.

(b) No gun over 6.1 inches and over 3,000 tons.

(c) No gun over 6.1 inches and not over 3,000 tons.

Submarines: Under-surface vessels.

Minor war vessels:

Over 100 tons and not over 2,000 tons, provided do not have
(a) Gun over 6.1 inches.

(b) Torpedoes.

(c) over 20 knots speed.

Auxiliary vessels:

Over 100 tons, not fighting ships, provided do not have

1. Gun over 6.1 inches.

2. Over eight guns over 3 inches.

3. Torpedoes.

4. Armor plate.

5. Over 28 knots speed.

6. Operating aircraft.

7. Over two catapults.

Small craft: Not over 100 tons.