An item dated New York, USA 13th reported that the chairman of the Navy League Walter Bruce Howe (1) stated that the USA had hardly any interest in an agreement between France and Italy dealing with the naval strengths. The intention on the disarmament conference of 1932 was to abolish the largest battleships and to replace by smaller ships [ in the text called cruisers] with guns of a calibre below 12”. The item remarked that the USA with her world wide network of merchant interests needed a large number of fast cruisers and large well armed battleships. There was some fear that at the next conference the USA and the other four naval powers [England, Japan, Italy and France] would be opponents.
Note
1. Walter Bruce Howe (18 November 1879 New York, USA-20 February 1954 Washington, USA), lawyer in New York City and in Washington?
