BIG NAVY URGED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 46, 23 February 1929, Page 9

BIG NAVY URGED.

AMERICAN VIEWS

Britain's Fleet Likened To Marauder Of Old.

PARITY DEMANDED. (Australian and X.Z. Press Association.) WASHINGTON, February 22. What is considered to be a revival of the effort to bring the original ship-building programme of the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Curtis Wilbur, again into attention is contained in a letter to Mr. Wilbur from Mr. L. Black, a Democrat member of the House of Representatives, for New York.

Mr. Black asks Mr. Wilbur to recommend to the President-elect, Mr. Hoover, that the fieet should be built up to a parity with that, of Britain.

Mr. Black insists that the 71-ship programme "is requisite now in view of the attitude of the British Foreign Office" until there is a binding international code.

Britain's superior fleet, he says, represents the marauder in the days before civilisation. America must, in the interests of her own economic comfort, be able to offset tho challenge expressed to her by the British Navy.

The chairman of the Naval Committee of the House of Representatives, Mr. F. A. Britten, in a further discussion of the naval question, said: "Personally 1 agree with tho former Prime Minister of Australia. Mr. W. M. Hughes, in his declaration that every additional American warship is an added guarantee for the peace of tho world, and the security of the British Empire.

"But for the sake of our respective taxpayers wc want this form of guarantee and our guarantee to be as small and as cheap as possible. All Bonsible people will support an adequate polico force, but they do not want to spend a dollar or a pound more than is necessary on their police. With common sense and frankness the same economy may bo exercised regarding navies."

Mr. Britten announces that he has received a letter from Commander J. M. Kcnworthv, M.P., in which Mr. Kenworthy expressed a hope for an early conference in London between members of Parliament and members of Congress, to discuss not only the subject of naval limitations, but also that of international law at sea.

The writer added: "In the meantime pleaso inform your friends that we on this side have no desire to interfere with or influence the construction of any warships the elected representatives of the United States may deem necessary, within the limits of the Washington Treaty."