Washington, May 15.
Senatorial investigation into the nature and history of the London wal Limitation Treaty continued yy, with Mr. Charles Francis Adams, Secretary of the Na testifying before the Foreign Rel tion Committee and Rear-Admira William V. Pratt appearing before the Naval Affairs Committee.
Mr. Adams went, into his views on the subject of American parity with Great Britain in some detail He said that the United States fleet should not be brought to parity with Britain before 1936 and that he had taken this attitude at London, on the ground that to push through to parity before that time would crowd the shipyards and probably produce unsatisfactory vessels, He said that parity would be reached, by treaty provision, some time after 1936, the exact time depending upon the policy to be adopted.
Responding to questions, he admitted that the United States could reach parity during. the life of the proposed treaty.
America's delegates went as far as they could to obtain the eonference's adoption of the General Board plan calling for 21 eight cruisers, he declared.
Tapanese objections, however, forced cruisers. the United States to accept 18
Mr. Adams declared gun cruisers would be some places."
He denied that the American delegation had. sacrificed anything essential to obtain parity. He expressed t) the building of gunboats was a waste of money.
Admiral Pratt told the Naval Affairs Committee that the London Treaty established combat pari For the first time in history, he said, America was able to begin a defini Programme extending over a period of years and materially reducing yearly wastage, The admiral said that he approved of the proposed abolition of submarines, but he said that he preferred to give his reasons privately rather than in an open hearing.
Rear-Admiral Hilary P. Jones told the Foreign Affairs Committee that he opposed a policy of consistently dividing cruisers into two classes.
The British have limited the ships best suited to our needs, namely, the eight-inch cruisers," he said.
'Completing his' testimony, Col. Henry L, Stimson, head of the defiegation, reiterated that the treaty, provided for an actual and not for "paper" parity.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.