Chapter II – Naval Armaments
Subchapter 1.
Article 23. The naval armaments of the parties to the Treaty of Washington, signed on February 6, 1922, and the Treaty of London, signed on April 22, 1930, remain subject to the limitations resulting from the said treaties.
Article 24. Article 25 and 26 constitute the agreement between the parties to the Treaty of London, referred to in article 24, paragraph 4, of that treaty. France and Italy will ratify the said treaty not later than the date of their ratification of the present convention.
Article 25. Until December 31, 1936, the naval combatant vessels of France and Italy other than capital ships, aircraft carriers and all vessels exempt from limitation under article 8 of the Treaty of London shall be limited, without prejudice to article 12 of the said treaty, by provisions of articles 26 and 27of the present convention. The definitions adopted in annex 1 for the purpose of the present chapter will apply.
Article 26.
(a) The completed tonnage in the cruiser, destroyer and submarine categories which is not to be exceeded on December 31, 1936, is to be the completed tonnage arrived at in consequence of the provisions of article 27.
(b) France and Italy shall have complete freedom to transfer for the purpose of replacement between cruisers of sub-category “II” and destroyers.
Article 27. Until December 31, 1936, the programs of France and Italy in cruisers, destroyers and submarines will be as follows:
(a) Cruisers with guns of more than 6.1 inch “155millimeters” calibre.
No further tonnage shall be laid down or acquired after the date of signing the present convention.
(b) Cruisers with guns of 6.1 inches (155 millimeters) caliber or less and destroyers.
The amount of further construction to be laid down or acquired by France during the period between January 1, 1933, and December31, 1936, shall be limited to 34298 (34847 metric) standard tons as authorized in the French program, paragraph 32
The amount of further construction to be laid down or acquired by Italy during the same period shall be limited to 27173 (27608metric) standard tons.
They may have laid down or acquired in accordance with the French program of 1931 and the Italian program of 1931-32, and any tonnage laid down or acquired subsequently shall be devoted to the replacement of over age cruisers of this category or of over age destroyers. Upon the completion of any replacement tonnage, a corresponding amount of over age tonnage shall be disposed of in accordance with annex 6 to the present chapter.
(c) Submarines.
Until December 31, 1936, France and Italy will not lay down or acquire any further submarines. France will arrange her present submarine building and scrapping program so that on the said date her completed tonnage will not be greater than (blank)standard tons.
Any submarine tonnage under construction on that date shall be in anticipation of replacement requirements.
Chapter 3 [Subchapter 2]
Article 28. No High Contracting Party shall lay down or acquire any capital ship during the period up to December 31, 1936, except that Italy may lay down 1ship not exceeding 26,500 (26,924 metric) standard tons and carrying guns not exceeding 13 inch (330 millimeter) calibre.
Except as provided in article 7, paragraph 2, of the Treaty of London no High Contracting Party shall until December 31, 1936,lay down or acquire any submarine the standard displacement of which exceeds two thousand (2032 metric) standard tons or carrying a gun above 5.1 inch (130millimeter) calibre.
Subchapter 3
Article 29. In order to bring about a stabilization of naval armaments until December 31, 1936, the armaments of those High Contracting Parties to whom the Treaties of Washington and London do not apply shall until the said date be limited as follows:
(a) No cruisers carrying guns of a calibre above 6.1 inch (166 millimeter) shall bec onstructed or acquired.
(b) On December 31, 1936, the completed tonnage in cruisers of subcategory II, destroyers and submarines possessed by each of the said High Contracting Parties shall not exceed the amounts specified for such party in annex 4. This provision does not, however, apply to vessels exempt from limitation under annex 2 to this chapter nor to the special vessels shown in annex 3. These special vessels may not be replaced.
(c) Ships may only be laid down or acquired in accordance with the replacement rules contained in annex 5 and only in replacement of tonnage in the same category or subcategory which is or becomes overage in accordance with those rules.
Nevertheless, there shall be complete freedom of transfer for purposes of replacement between the cruisers of subcategory II and destroyers.
Vessels which have to be disposed of as being surplus to the tonnage figures set out in annex 4 shall be disposed of in accordance with the rules set out in annex 6.
(d) Existing ships of various types which prior to April 1st, 1933, have been used as stationary training establishments or hulks may be retained in anon-seagoing condition.
Article 30. The High Contracting Parties assent to the rules laid down in part IV of the Treaty of London and accept them as established rules of international law.
The present article constitutes, as regards those High Contracting Parties to whom the Treaty of London does not apply, the accession contemplated by article 25 of the said treaty.
Subchapter 4
Article 31. It is understood that none of the provision of the present chapter shall prejudice the attitude of any of the High Contracting Parties at the conferences referred to in article 32. The present convention establishes no permanent ratio in any category of ship and creates no precedent as to whether, and if so in what manner, tonnage remaining overage on December 31st, 1936, for which replacement tonnage has not been laid down may ultimately be replaced.
Article 32. Concurrently with the conference in 1935 provided for under article 23of the Treaty of London or at least in the same year there shall be a conference of all the High contracting Parties possessing naval armaments with a view to the establishment of limitations to be observed after December 31st,1936.
Article 33. The Permanent Disarmament Commission set up under article 64 of the present convention will take immediate steps to prepare for the conferences of1935 referred to in article 32 by ascertaining the opinions of the High Contracting Parties concerned. It will also examine, with a view to reporting to the said conferences, technical questions of qualitative reduction in the sizes of vessels of war in the various categories, as well as any other questions relating to the limitation of naval armaments which the commission may consider could appropriately come before the said conferences.
Annexes omitted but cover
(1) definitions
(2) exempt vessels
(3) list of special vessels
(4) tonnage figures for powers other than those signatories of the Treaty of Washington
(5) replacement rules
(6) rules for disposal
Chapter III – Air Armaments
Article 34. The High Contracting Parties accept the complete abolition of bombing from the air (except for police purposes in certain outlying regions).
Article 35. The Permanent Disarmament Commission set up under article 64 of the present convention shall immediately devote itself to the working out of the best possible schemes providing for:
(a) The complete abolition of military and naval aircraft …
Source: FRUS, 1933, Vol. 1, pp43-54.
