We had hoped that Mr. Coolidge would have shown a
better understanding than appeared in his Message, but the only common-sense course now is for Great Britain to recognize that the situation has become worse instead of better and to try to redeem it. One of the new bad signs is the voting -by the American House of Represen- tatives of money for raising the elevation of the guns in two battleships. The United States had previously pro- posed -to raise the elevation of all her battleship guns in the wholly false belief that the elevation had been raised in the British Navy. On learning the truth the American Navy Department postponed a decision. Now this cause of dispute breaks out again. The Manchester Guardian says that British battleships, owing to the high angle at which the guns were originally installed, do possess some superiority at ranges between 21,000 and 24,000 yards. On the other hand the Americans have five ships—as compared with three British ships—which can fire at ranges exceeding 30,000 yards. The Washington Treaty is vague about elevation, and our Admiralty has always held that it would violate the Treaty if it raised the firing angle. If America now raises hers, a new and unforeseen kind of competition will be authorized. * * *
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