CONTENTS I. Tonnage of the present fleets of the United States, Great Britain, and Japan, built and underage, as of December 31, 1929.-.- II. Tonnage of the present fleets of the United States, Great Britain, and Japan, built (underage) and building, as of December 31, III. Tonnage of the present fleets of the United States, Great Britain, and Japan, built (underage), building, appropriated for, and authorized, as of December 31, 1929. IV. Tonnage of the fleets of the United States, Great Britain, and Japan under the London Naval Treaty, if the United States does not exercise the option provided by Article 18 of the treaty. V. Tonnage of the fleets of the United States, Great Britain, and Japan under the London Naval Treaty, if the United States does exercise the option provided by Article 18 of the treaty...-. V Page DIGEST OF THE LONDON NAVAL TREATY OF 1930 PREAMBLE The United States, France, Great Britain, Italy, and Japan have resolved to conclude a treaty for the limitation and reduction of naval armament, in order to prevent the dangers and reduce the burdens inherent in armament competition; to carry forward the work begun by the Washington Naval Conference of 1922; and to facilitate the progressive realization of general limitation and reduction of all armaments. PART I (This part applies to the five powers, i. e., the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan.) ARTICLE 1 The replacements of capital ships (battleships and battle cruisers) provided for by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 are to be postponed until after 1936. Under the Washington treaty the United States was permitted to begin the construction of 10 capital ships as replacements between 1931 and 1936; Great Britain was permitted to begin the construction of 10, Japan 6, France 3, and Italy 3. France and Italy may each construct two capital ships before December 31, 1936, since the right extended to them by the Washington treaty to begin the construction of one in 1927 and another in 1929 was never exercised by either country. ARTICLE 2 Three capital ships listed by name are to be scrapped by the United States, 5 by Great Britain, and 1 by Japan. This brings the United States and Great Britain down to 15 capital ships and Japan to 9; i. e., the final limits authorized by the Washington treaty which, without the present treaty, would not have been attained until 1935 by Japan and 1936 by the United States and Great Britain. After the 9 ships above mentioned have been scrapped, the capital ship tonnage of the three powers will be as follows: Of the capital ships to be scrapped, one may be retained by each country for training purposes after being rendered unfit for warlike purposes, and one may be converted to target use exclusively; the ships which may thus be retained are listed by name. The balance must all be scrapped by sinking or breaking up. ARTICLE 3 1. The expression "aircraft carrier" includes any surface vessel of war designed for the specific and exclusive purpose of carrying aircraft and so constructed that aircraft can be launched therefrom and landed thereon. 2. The fitting of a landing-on or flying-off platform or deck on a capital ship, cruiser, or destroyer (provided such vessel was not designed or adapted exclusively as an aircraft carrier) shall not cause any vessel so fitted to be considered as an aircraft carrier. 3. No capital ship in existence on the 1st of April, 1930, shall be fitted with a landing-on platform or deck for aircraft. ARTICLE 4 1. No aircraft carrier of 10,000 tons or less, mounting a gun above. 6.1-inch caliber, shall be acquired by or constructed by or for any of the five powers which are parties to the treaty. 2. From the time when the present treaty comes into force no aircraft carrier of 10,000 tons or less, mounting a gun above 6.1-inch caliber, shall be constructed within the jurisdiction of any of the parties. ARTICLE 5 An aircraft carrier of 10,000 tons or less must not be designed and constructed for carrying a gun above 6.1-inch caliber. No power may possess an aircraft carrier with a gun greater than 8 inches in caliber or mounting more than 10 guns exceeding 6.1 inches in caliber (anti-aircraft guns and guns not over 5 inches are unlimited). A carrier over 27,000 tons may not mount more than 8 guns greater than 6.1 inches in caliber (anti-aircraft guns and guns not over 5 inches are unlimited). PART II (This part applies to the five powers, i. e., United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan.) ARTICLE 6 This article prescribes the rules for determining the displacement of surface vessels of war and of submarines and specifies that the term "ton" refers to one of 2,240 pounds. |