AMERICA’S NAVY

Evening Star, Issue 19772, 24 January 1928, Page 14

AMERICA’S NAVY

NEW BUILDING PROGRAMME “MENACE TO WORLD PEACE.” Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. NEW YORK, January 21. The ' Now York World’s ’ ’Washington correspondent says that the multimillion dollar navy building scheme in which the Administration has acquiesced is being inflated so rapidly that it appears destined to he a billion dollar bubble. Roth the Republican and Democratic majorities of all-power-ful appropriation and finance committees have determined to fight to the finish in their efforts to appropriate the money necessary to raal;o the naval expansion drcain come true. The project, if carried out, would raise the annual cost of the navy to more than 500,000,000 dollars, and increase the annual tax burden by at least 20,000,000 dollars. It_ would, in the opinion of many, precipitate an open armament race with Britain and other naval Powers. As the Bill now stands, the President’s hands would be tied, even if limitations should he decided upon at the 10-'U conference. Senator Glass to-day _ assailed the programme as an imposition upon tire taxpayers and a menace to world peace. He added; “That which started apparently as an Administration bluff, and was taken seriously by the House Naval Affairs Committee, is causing international apprehension over the real intention of the United States.” Senator Borah is opposed to tiro project, and said that he intended to attack it as soon as the Bill reached the Senate. PROTECTION OF COMMERCE. EQUALITY WITH BRITAIN DEMANDED, NEW YORK, January 21. In a symposium on the naval programme during a public luncheon, Colonel Roosevelt, son of the cx-P.rosi-dent, said: “Wo hope for no more wars, hut we know they cannot be avoided. ’When there is a cause like foreign trade, whereon the life of a nation depends, arbitration will not hold. Our prosperity now depends on the finding of markets abroad for our goods.” The speaker demanded a navy equal to that of Great Britain. Admiral Plunkot said: “ The penalty for efficiency is war. It is inevitable so long as we travel along the lines wo are^traveiling to-day, and what of Rh We are not going to leave this heritage of George Washington to luck.;’ Admiral Plunket continued that it his eye read history correctly the country was nearer war than ever before, because its commercial position to-dav placed it in competition with other great commercial nations. “If you don’t want war, lie a worm. Crawl on your belly into the nearest hole in the earth,” he added. Congressman Andrew approved ot the programme “to support our national policies, which are only reluctantly recognised by other powerful Governments.” . . , . Congressman Laguardia attacked the programme on tlie ground that it meant war, and that other countries were already suspicions. SENATOR BORAH’S CONDEMNATION. WASHINGTON, January 22. Senator Borah has issued a statement attacking the naval programme. Referring to Admiral Plunkct’s remarks, he saicT: u Those statements put out by naval officers give notice to all the world, and particularly to Britain, to get ready for war. I regard such declarations as mischievous to the last degree.” . ■ Senator Borah then refers to similar declarations by English admirals, and adds; “All this is part of a. well-organ-ised plan to prepare the public mind for a naval race. A limited number ot cruisers to help to police our commerce can be justified, but this programme, together with wild, excited statements about war, is sheer madness.”